


The Ranchers Wife

by Texang



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Anal Fingering, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Light Dom/sub, Oral Sex, Rancher Nicole Haught, Vaginal Fingering, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-07-12 10:31:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15993371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Texang/pseuds/Texang
Summary: Nicole and Waverly Haught run their own cattle ranch in the mid-1800's. Their happy life is put to the test when local asshole, Bobo Svane and his gang try to force the Haught's to sell a portion of their land. Bobo will stop at nothing to make them sell but the bigger question is why he wants it in the first place.





	1. A Storm is Coming

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for joining me on this journey into the old west. I have a soft spot for Westerns so this has been a lot of fun. I have about 12 chapters plotted out so far and I expect there will end up being around 14 or 15, we'll have to see how things go. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing. Thanks! :)
> 
> ***Authors Note: One of the great things about writing is you get to create your own world and in my world being a lesbian isn't unusual or different. People love who they love and nobody blinks an eye about it so you won't find anyone saying anything about it in this story. Waverly loves Nicole and all is right in the world.

A crack of thunder startled Waverly Haught as she quickly shooed her chickens into the coop. The impending storm was arriving faster than expected and since her wife hadn’t returned from gathering cattle that had escaped their pen three days before, Waverly and a few of the ranch hands were madly preparing the ranch for what looked to be a hell of a storm.

“The barn is secure, Ms Waverly.” Cotton said as he steadied the small woman against the wind. “John is shuddering your house and Doc just about has the horses pen secured. Is there anything else I can do to help or would you mind if I ride out to my folks place to check on them?”

Waverly looked towards the hills her wife rode into three days prior, hoping to see her making her way down through the trees. With a deep sigh, she patted Cotton’s arm and gave him the sweetest smile she could muster under the circumstances. “Thanks so much for your help, Cotton. Of course you may check on your family. Please be safe and tell them Nicole and I will call on them next week when she’s back.”

“Will do. It’s not my place to say but you shouldn’t worry about Ms Nicole too much. She’s the toughest person I know and I’m sure she’ll be riding up with all them cattle in tow any minute. Sorry I can’t stay to help.”

Squeezing the young mans arm, Waverly shooed him towards his horse. “I’m sure your right. Now get on to your people while you still can.” She appreciated him trying to comfort her but nothing would ease the lump in her throat until her wife was safe in her arms.

As she latched the last board on the coop and turned towards her house, a gust of wind nearly took Waverly off her feet as her skirt caught it and slid her back across the loose gravel.

“Whoa there, Waves. Let’s get you and that sail of a skirt into the house.” Waverly’s brother-law-law, Doc, said as he tucked her under his arm and pushed for the house.

“Thanks, Doc.” Waverly yelled to be heard above the storm.

When they were close enough for the house to block the wind, Doc pulled away and waved a gloved hand towards the brunette. “I’ve got to get back to our place and check on Wynonna. Will you be okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for all your help.” Waverly said as she glanced towards the hills once again.

“She’ll find her way home. That girl would walk through fire to find her way back to you, little one. Don’t fret, she’ll be coming through those trees any moment. I’m just sorry I won’t be here to see it. Give her our love and if you need anything at all, you come get me, you here?”

“Thanks, Doc.” She said as she soaked up the comfort from the hug he offered. She knew Nicole would do everything in her power to get home but she’d been gone much longer than they’d expected and Waverly hated to think of her out in this weather alone. Walking into her house, Waverly double checked that all doors and windows were properly secured as the gusts of wind rattled the shutters. Nicole had taken their dogs with her to help herd the cattle which left Waverly feeling completely alone in the big house.

Earlier in the day Cotton had filled the tub for her so she could bath that evening. Stoking the fire, she carried the last couple pales closer so she could heat them before topping off the water and letting the warmth help wash away the anxiety she felt.

As she pulled an arm through a sleeve, she heard the sound of hundreds of hooves outside and threw open the door to find the cattle making their way through the trees towards the ranch with Nicole and the dogs on their tail. Pulling on her shoes, she ran towards the cattle pens to open the gates and allow them access. A wave of relief past through her as she saw her wife, bundled up from head to toe but seemingly safe and sound on top of her horse.

Once they were secured and Nicole had released her horse in the corral with the others, the two women and their dogs ran for the safety of the house as objects swirled around them in the wind. With the door shut and locked, Waverly fell into her wife’s arms pulling them both to the ground. “I was so scared when you didn’t come home two days ago, Nic. Are you okay?” she asked as she helped the taller woman remove her jacket and boots. She could see the red head was soaked to the bone and shivering, so she immediately put the remaining buckets of water on the fire to heat.

“This water will be hot in no time. Let’s get the rest of your clothes off and get you in the tub.”

Nicole seemed hesitant to undress and Waverly could tell she was trying to hide something. “Nicole Haught, you speak to me right now. What have you gone and done to yourself that you’re trying to hide from me?”

“Nothing too terrible, my love.” She said with a decidedly guilty look. “I just got a little banged up and I don’t want you to worry one bit, okay? It’s all only bumps and scratches. That old mountain’s going to have to try harder if it wants to do any real damage.” Nicole winced as Waverly pealed the drenched shirt from her body, revealing deep bruising and gashes all over her alabaster skin.

“Nicole! What happened to you?” Waverly knew her wife didn’t like it when she made a fuss over her but the thought of her sweet wife being injured, alone up on the mountain broke her heart. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then you can tell me all about it.”

Waverly pulled the now hot buckets of water from the fire with gloves while Nicole removed the remainder of her clothing. Setting them down next to the tub, she allowed the stronger woman to pour them in while she shed her own clothing and climbed in next to her.

“Come here to me, sweetheart. I missed holding you in my arms while I was away.” Nicole said as she tugged on Waverly’s arm, encouraging her to come closer.

“I’m afraid I might hurt you if I lean against you.” She said as she knelt in front of her, trying to inspect the injuries she could see through the water. 

“You aren’t going to hurt me, Waverly. The healing I need is more of the emotional sort at the moment and the only remedy for that is to have your beautiful body wrapped up in mine.”

Waverly smiled warmly, melting into the arms of her love as the storm raged outside. “Nothing seems scary when I’m in your arms.”

“Mmmm.” Nicole acknowledged as she rested her chin on the soft brunette curls on Waverly’s head. “Nothin’ else seems important when you’re in my arms so I think we’re a good match. Should we make it official?”

“I think we already did.” Waverly giggled as she thumbed the silver band on her finger. “I’m not opposed to marrying you again though, Nicole Haught. It was so good the first time, I can imagine it would be even better the second.”

The deep rumble of Nicole’s laugh tickled Waverly’s cheek where it rested on her chest. “Please tell me what happened, Nic. I know you want to protect me but not knowing only makes me more nervous.”

“Smart and beautiful, how’d I get so lucky?” Nicole said as she kissed the top of her head. “It didn’t take long to find the cattle when I cut out of here the other night. Most had gone over to the lake and were grazing around there but I noticed a few had scattered and got themselves trapped on the other side of that rocky cliff. I tried to send Ben and Caleb to push them out but the stupid cattle just wouldn’t budge. I sent the dogs to watch the herd by the lake and slowly made my way down the cliff but my foot slipped about a third of the way down and I slid the rest of the way on my front.”

Waverly gasped, raising her hand to her mouth in shock. “That has to be thirty feet down!”

“That seems about right. Luckily my skin slowed the fall so nothing was broken or seriously injured when I hit the ground.” Nicole said, wincing at the memory.

“How in the world did you get them out of there?”

Nicole picked up the metal scoop that hung from the side of the tub and held it up asking her wife for permission to wash her hair. When Waverly nodded and leaned her head back, Nicole scooped up warm water and gently poured it over her hair, careful not to get it in her eyes. “Well, it took me just a bit to think on it and by the time I’d worked out a plan it was too dark to actually put it into action. Luckily I still had that jerky you gave me in my pocket and my canteen tied to my belt so I wasn’t stuck without sustenance. You take care of me even when you’re miles away.”

Waverly smiled contentedly as her wife soaped her big, strong hands and rubbed them into her hair. “At first light I found a flat rock and set to digging around the bottom of the boulders that were keeping the animals trapped and pushed them down the hill and out of the way. Once I had a path cleared it was pretty easy to move them into a bigger area where the dogs could come down and help me get them back with the herd. All and all it was a smooth operation even though it took the entire day. I was too exhausted to move by the time everyone was all together so I decided to sleep under the stars one more night and bring them in the next day. I saw the storm movin’ in as we just started through the trees on the home stretch and I moved them as fast as I could but they were scared and weaving through the forest slowed them down even more. You were certainly a sight for sore eyes when I saw you dart from the house and open the gate. My heart is always so full when we’re able to work as a team like that.”

“I was worried sick when you didn’t come home after a day and by day two I was doing my best not to panic. Doc and the boys helped me get everything ready for the storm but I missed having my partner by my side. It’s lonely here without you.”

Nicole rinsed the last of the soap from Waverly and dunked her own head in the now cooling water to rinse her short red locks. “We should get out while the gettin’s good. We’re going to freeze our tushes off if we stay much longer.” Getting out she grabbed a towel for her wife and wrapped her up in it as she got out of the tub. Once Waverly was reasonably dry, Nicole used it to dry herself before picking up her wife and carrying her to their bed.

“I still need to put something on those scratches!” Waverly protested as Nicole slid her under the covers and climbed on top of her still naked body.

“We have time for that after I reacquaint myself with this gorgeous body of yours.” Waverly giggled again as Nicole kissed her way down her chest before pulling a rigid nipple into her mouth and sucking. She felt a rush of wetness slick her thighs as the love of her life continued her quest towards her center.

“You smell so sweet, baby.” Nicole whispered languidly as she pulled her slit open, exposing her warm wet center. “I missed the taste of your pussy so much. I hope you don’t think it too creepy but I thought about your taste when I was stuck out on that mountain.” Leaning down, she dipped her warm tongue into the soft folds eliciting another gasp from Waverly.

“You feel so good, Nic. I missed you so much. I feel lost without you by my side.” Waverly said as she grabbed red hair and pulled the wet tongue deeper into her center.

Nicole swept her tongue around the edge of Waverly’s hole, only dipping inside when the brunette made a desperate request to be taken. Sliding the abundance of wetness she gathered up to her swollen clit, she sucked it gently as she slid first one and then two fingers into her greedy hole.

“Yes, Nic! Yes, fuck me. I’m going to come in your mouth. Keep fucking me.” Waverly moaned as Nicole doubled her efforts and began driving her fingers deeper into her center, curling them to reach the spot inside she knew would drive Waverly over the top. 

“Come for me, Waverly. Come for me and let me feel that tight pussy contract around my big fingers. Give your pleasure to me and show me how much you missed me when we were apart.”

Waverly screamed so loud as she was pushed over the edge the dogs retreated to the corner of the room for safety. Nicole thrust in and out in a steady rhythm until the smaller woman couldn’t take any more and pushed her hand away. Gently pulling her fingers free, Nicole slide next to her wife and pulled her sweaty body into her arms. “We’re going to need another washing up after that. We’re both covered and sweat and come.” She laughed as Waverly tried to catch her breath.

“You wreck me woman but in the absolute best way possible.” Waverly said as she heard soft snores from her already sleeping wife.


	2. Accidental Sheriff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole Haught finds herself in a dangerous situation as she makes her way out west to find her fortune in gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter gives some background into how Nicole ended up in Purgatory and temporarily as Sheriff. I struggled with this chapter a little. I had a hard time finding a rhythm but hopefully you'll see past the stumbles and enjoy what I've settled on. I'm really selling this chapter, aren't I. ;) lol

A soft rattle of shutters pulled Nicole from her blissful sleep. Her brain tried to register where she was after having spent several nights in the dust and mud as she tracked down and brought back their missing cattle. Smiling at the feel of her wife snuggled next to her she released a contented sigh when she remembered she was where she belonged, home.

When she first came to the dusty little town or Purgatory, Nicole had been passing through on her way out west to find her fortune in gold in the California hills. After playing a few hands of cards with the locals in the saloon, she retired early only to be woken from a deep sleep by the crack of a gunshot. Having been the law in a small town out east, her first instincts were to grab her pistol and rush downstairs to see what the commotion was all about. 

Still in the long johns she slept in, Nicole took cover behind an overturned table as she scanned the room for the source of the gunfire. The only sounds she heard were a woman on the balcony softly whimpering and men arguing outside the building. As several other people silently cowered behind various pieces of furniture, Nicole carefully made her way towards the front of the room so she could get a better look at what had them spooked.

Crawling on her belly to hide behind a table near the doors she tucked in next to an older gentleman who looked like he had seen the devil. “What happened?” Nicole asked as she double checked the cylinder of her revolver. The man gestured towards the door and Nicole peaked her head up to peer over the top of table. 

Just beyond the saloon doors the local Sheriff was in a heap on the ground, blood dripping from a bullet hole in the head. Beyond his body she saw two men arguing as the larger of the two drug a scantily clad woman by the neck towards a waiting horse. The woman had clearly been beaten and looked lifeless as the man held a pistol to her head. 

“What am I looking at here?” she asked the old man.

Visibly shaken, he put a hand on Nicole’s arm to keep her with him behind the cover of the table. “Don’t make a move, that there is Marty and Dale Johnson. I was at the bar havin’ a drink when those boys came barging from a room upstairs, dragging that poor girl’s body with them. The Sheriff got up from his card game and ordered Marty to let her go and put his gun down. Marty said they’d paid for the night and she was theirs to do with as they pleased but she went and bit one of ‘um on their dick and she was going to pay. That’s when the Sheriff pulled his gun and Marty shot him dead.”

“Why hasn’t anyone stopped them?” Nicole asked, shocked that not one person other than the Sheriff cared enough to stand up for the woman, even if she wasn’t the most respectable type.

The man’s eyes went wide as he vigorously shook his head. ”No way anyone’s gonna’ do anything. They’re a couple of Bobo Svane’s boys and if you go messin’ with them, Bobo will come after you and yours with a vengeance.”

“Well, I’m a ‘you’ without a ‘yours’ so I’ll take my chances.” Nicole said as she hopped over the table and ran for cover by the door. “What’s the plan here boys?” she called to them. Both men stopped arguing and looked for where the voice was coming from. 

“Who is that?” the younger man called. “Come on out here and show your face if you ain’t too chicken shit.”

“That seems like a dangerous idea. How about you put down that gun and step away from the young lady before I have to teach you how a gentleman should act.” Both men laughed as Nicole saw the larger one lift the limp body of the woman onto his horse.

“I don’t think you know who you’re talking to, little lady.” 

“Looks like I’m talking to a couple dick heads. This is your last warning. Let the her go before this gets worse.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Marty draw his gun and aim. On instinct Nicole ducked and rolled across the entryway as a barrage of bullets flew past her. When she had cover on the other side of the entryway she returned fire.

Marty yelled for his brother as a bullet got him in the gut. “She got me Dale, she shot me.” Marty said as he fell to his knees in the dirt.

“You’re dead, bitch.” Dale said as he charged Nicole, emptying his pistol as he advanced. The red head was able to avoid all but one shot that caught her in the shoulder. Tossing her gun to her uninjured side, she squeezed off one last shot that got the man right between the eyes. His lifeless body dropped like a sack of potatoes. 

Tucking the pistol in her boot for safe keeping, Nicole gently pulled the barely breathing woman from the back of the anxious horse and carried her into the saloon where she was cared for by the women who had come from upstairs.

The events of that night left Purgatory without a Sheriff and Nicole an enemy of Robert “Bobo” Svane. At the request of the townsfolk she agreed to stay on as Sheriff until they were able to find a replacement. 

She’d never had a mind to stay in Purgatory very long until the day Waverly Earp and her sister, Wynonna came to town to shop for supplies. One look at the brunette and Nicole knew her heart was lost. She immediately set about courting the beautiful young woman and after almost a year, she had agreed to be her wife.

Soon after they were married, Nicole moved onto the homestead with the Earp sisters. Six months later, Wynonna and Doc followed were married and in exchange for agreeing to take over as Sheriff, the whole town pitched in to build them a house on the Earp land about a mile from Nicole and Waverly’s place. Having been on her own since she was fifteen, Nicole never imagined she’d ever find a family of her own but somehow she'd stumbled into a life she wouldn't have dared dreamed of. 

Reaching down to gently kiss her wife on the lips, Nicole finally drug herself out of the warm bed and pulled on her pants and boots. Waverly was sleeping so peacefully she didn’t want to wake her so she tore a chunk of bread from a loaf on the counter and poured herself a little Whiskey. She knew Waverly would scold her for drinking this early but she wanted to get out to the barn to check for storm damage and didn’t want to take the time to brew a pot of coffee. With any luck the alcohol would also dull the lingering pain from her time on the mountain.

The air was crisp as she stepped onto the porch, stretching her long limbs and surveying the damage from the storm the night before. A few misplaced boards and a toppled over bench were the only evidence the winds were ever as strong as they were. She was thankful Waverly and the boys were able to get things buttoned down or she knew the outcome would have been much worse. Pulling on her jacket to stave off the chill, she headed for the pens to check the animals.

“Haught!?” a woman's voice called from outside the barn.

“In here, Wynonna!” 

Waverly’s sister, Wynonna was the local Sheriff. Having been a bounty hunter before settling down in Purgatory for good, she was the natural choice to take over for Nicole when she decided to try ranching full time. Her sister-in-law didn’t love the job but she took it seriously and did right by the town and it's people. She often teased Nicole about finding someone else to care for the ranch so Purgatory could have their sheriff back but Nicole knew Wynonna cared more than she let on.

“Where you been, Haught? You about had my poor baby sister tied in a knot with worry.” Wynonna said as she fell in alongside Nicole, inspecting each animal for injury.

“Some cattle got themselves trapped up on the mountain and it took me some time to get them out of there and back home. I'm glad you stopped by, I wanted to talk to you about something else. I didn’t want to mention this to Waverly and worry her more than need be but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t out there alone.”

“That’s creepy.” Wynonna said as both women walked towards the barn. “Did you actually see someone or was this just one of your famous hunches?”

Nicole laughed as she gently smacked her arm. “Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds nuts but those hunches have saved my skin more times than I care to admit. I just had this feeling t someone was watching me. It’s part of the reason it took me so long to get those cattle out of the rocks. I was afraid to loose too much cover if someone was out there lookin’ to do me some damage.”

“Why would someone want to hurt you?”

Nicole sighed and ran her fingers through her short red hair. “Who knows? You can’t convince me those cattle just happened to find their way out of the pen without assistance from someone.”

“I agree.” Wynonna said as she took a swig from her flask and offered it to Nicole. “You better not let my sister find out how much danger you’ve been in. She’ll never let you leave the house again.”

“Too late, she knows.” Waverly said from the door, as she gave Nicole a look that made Wynonna abandon ship and rush from the barn.

“Coward.” Nicole called after her.

“I’ll see you later, Haught.” She said, leaning down to give Waverly a kiss on the cheek as she passed. “Go easy on her, babygirl. She’s just doing her job.”

Waverly stood still watching her wife fidget from foot to foot under her glare. “Waverly, I…”

“Don’t. I don’t want to hear any more excuses, Nicole. I know the life we’ve chosen. I know who I married.” Waverly picked up her skirt and closed the distance between them. “I had hoped when you stopped being a Sheriff and took up ranchin’ it would be a safer profession but I see now you are who you are and living a safe life wouldn’t suit you.” Lifting herself up onto her tip-toes she pulled Nicole down for a kiss. “All I ask is you never forget I’m home waiting for you. If you promise to always do everything in your power to come home safe to me, I can learn to deal with the rest.”

Nicole deepened their kiss as she guided Waverly back to a pile of soft hay, gently helping her on top without breaking contact. “Careful, the boys will be here any moment.” Waverly said as she half-heartedly pushed against her chest as Nicole began to unbutton her shirt planting kisses along her collar bone. 

“You are not distracting me from the scoldin’ I’m giving you, Nicole Haught.”

Nicole smiled as a sweet moan escaped Waverly’s lips. “More scoldin’? I thought we were done with that part and moving on to the making up part?”

“Don’t keep things from me, Nic.” Waverly said seriously. “You aren’t protecting me when you do that. If you think someone might be watching us, don’t you think I need to know so I can be extra cautious?” 

Nicole stopped her kisses for a moment to look Waverly in the eyes. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t want you to worry but keeping things from you doesn’t do anyone any good. I won’t do it again.” She held her gaze until a small smile graced Waverly's lips and she knew she had accepted her apology.

“Now let me get back to the making up part.” She said as she pulled a soft breast from the front of Waverly’s blouse and sucked a puckered nipple into her mouth. 

“Nicole!” Waverly said, throwing her head back and gasping for breath.

“I love you, baby. I promise you I’ll do whatever it takes to come home to you. Always.” 

Waverly threaded her fingers through silky red hair. "You better, I don't want to know what life is like without you in it."

Sliding her hand under the smaller woman’s skirt, Nicole edged her fingers up her inner thigh. Nicole could feel how wet Waverly’s underclothes had become but before she could explore anymore, she heard voices outside the barn. With quick reflexes and Herculean strength, she picked up the smaller woman and carried her behind the bales of hay and out of site of the door to button her blouse back up. “Sorry baby.” She said with a frown as Waverly made herself presentable again. When she was ready, Nicole took her hand and they walked her out into the yard. 

“Hey boys, thanks for coming.” Nicole greeted the men, trying to act as if she hadn’t been seconds from fucking her wife in the barn before they interrupted. “I’m gong to escort this beautiful young lady up to the house and then I’ll be back to help. We’ve got to get those cattle checked carefully and make sure none were injured in the mountains. We had a couple close calls up there.”

“Roger, boss.” The Haught’s foreman and Wynonna’s husband said tipping his hat to his sister-in-law. “You look positively glowing today, Ms Waverly. I suspect having this old goat home safe and sound has returned the smile to your face.”

“It has, Doc.” Waverly said as Nicole playfully punched him in the arm as she walked by. “Don’t you have work to do?” she teased with a wink.

“Alright boys, you heard her, let’s get these cattle separated.” he said as he pulled himself onto his horse.

Waverly wrapped herself around her wife's arm as they walked to the house, . “Baby?”

“Yes, my love?”

“How do you think the cattle escaped the pen? I know Doc and the boys checked the fence while you were gone and said everything seemed tight as a drum.”

“I’m not sure but I plan to find out.”

When they reached the house Waverly released Nicole’s arm as the taller woman leaned down to kiss her lips.

“Be careful today Nic and don’t push yourself too hard. You’re still healing.”

“I’ll be fine, baby. It’s going to take more than a few nights on the side of a mountain to lick this old goat.”

Waverly looked down from the second step and took Nicole’s face between her hands. “Day after tomorrow is Sunday. If I make us a nice picnic lunch can we spend the day down by the lake? I know you are busy with this cattle mess but I miss you and I think you need a day to rest and be taken care of.”

Nicole thought of every reason why she shouldn’t take a day off but in the end she couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing her wife. “That sounds delightful, Mrs Haught. I would love to spend the day by the lake with the most beautiful girl in Purgatory. I’ll tell the boys I will be taking that afternoon off. Doc can handle things here just fine.”

With one final kiss and a wave, Nicole reluctantly drug herself away from the comfort of soft skin and delicate kisses and headed for the barn.


	3. Trip to Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly is confronted by her wife's old nemesis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! First, thanks so much for all the kind words. You guys are awesome. I get ridiculously happy when an email comes to my inbox alerting me that someone has left a comment. I'd like to say it's only about the joy of writing but let's be honest, it's also about all the feels I get from the comments. ;) lol
> 
> Second, I don't want to set any expectations I can't meet by posting another chapter so quickly but I hated to just sit on it when I had it done. I have plotted out all 15 chapters and unless something comes up in the process, I have a plan for how things will go. There are a couple more chapters of set up before the action starts so enjoy the domestic fluff while you can. ;)

“I’m really sorry I can’t take you into town, sweetie.” Nicole said with a dejected look on her face.

Waverly smiled at her sullen wife and kissed the protruding bottom lip of her pouty face. “It’s quite alright. I need to get things for our dinner with Wynonna and Doc tonight and our picnic tomorrow. Cotton has agreed to take me and I think he’s happy to have the opportunity to call on the young lady he’s been courting.”

“Courting!” Nicole said. “When did this happen?”

Their young ranch hand, Cotton, had become like a son to the Haught’s since coming to work for them shortly after they married, three years prior. As the surprise baby of older parents, he was twenty years junior to his nearest sibling. His loving parents did the best they could but weren’t able to provide much in the way of parenting due to their advanced age. Over the last three years the Haught’s had seen him grow from a timid boy into an intelligent, confident young man and liked to think they had a little something to do with it.

“Easy there, Nic.” Waverly said with a laugh. “He’s a grown man now and it’s time for him to start thinking of his future.”

“I know that.” Nicole said. “He’s just so young.”

“He’s nineteen.”

“Exactly! Does he even know what it means to be a husband? Does he understand the responsibilities that title comes with?”

“Maybe you should talk to him, Nic. He really looks up to you and just might take your advice to heart.” Waverly turned so Nicole could fasten her dress from the back. “Don’t go meddlin’ in his affairs though. You can give him advice on the responsibilities of having a family but when and who he courts is his own business. You’re here to guide, not judge.”

“I know.” Nicole grumbled as she fastened the last button and gently kissed her wife on top of her head. “You look beautiful, sweetheart. Just breathtaking.”

Waverly blushed as she turned in her wife’s arms and rested her head against her broad chest. “See, that’s the advice the boy needs. He’d do well to learn how to treat a woman from you. There isn’t a woman alive who could resist the Haught charm.”

That brought a sly smile to Nicole’s face. “Who is this poor unsuspecting young lady?”

“The blacksmith’s daughter, Mattie Perley.”

“Isn’t she learning the trade from her father?” Nicole asked as she pulled on her boots.

“She is.”

“Well, I approve then. Are you ready to go, my love? I suspect Cotton has the buggy ready by now.”

Waverly checked herself in the mirror one last time before sliding her arm through her wife’s. “Ready as I’m going to get.”

 

##################

 

“Mornin’ Ms Waverly, you look beautiful this mornin’” Cotton said as he held out his hand to assist her into the buggy.

Waverly noticed him looking to Nicole for approval and knew her wife hadn’t waisted any time in starting the boy’s charm lessons. “Why thank you, Cotton. That’s very kind of you to say.” She said as she gave her wife a conspiratorial wink.

Cotton beamed as he climbed into the buggy and picked up the reins.

“You take good care of my wife, Cotton. I’m trusting you to make sure she gets back in one piece.” Nicole said as she gave the horses harness one last check to make sure everything looked right.

“Not to be disrespectful, Ms Nicole but I’m pretty sure Ms Waverly does a fine job lookin’ out for herself.” Cotton said as a his checks turned all shades of red.

Nicole laughed as Waverly gave Cotton a kiss on the cheek. “I suppose you got that about right, son. You’re going to be just fine, just fine.”

Cotton gave Waverly a shocked look as he touched his newly kissed cheek.

“We’ll be back around noon so I can start on tonights dinner. I love you.” Waverly said as she blew her wife a kiss.

Nicole pretended to grab the kiss from the air before putting her hand to her lips. “I love you, too. Now you kids get and be careful.”

Waverly nodded for Cotton to go, looking back to give her wife one last wave goodbye.

 

##################

 

Waverly checked her list one last time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. They only lived a thirty minute ride from town but she didn’t like to come more than she had to so she usually loaded up on supplies while she was there.

“I think that’s it, Cotton. If you’ll put these last things in the buggy, I’m going to stop in for a chat with Shorty. Would you mind paying a visit to the blacksmith for me? Nicole needs a new spade.”

“I just saw several in the barn this very morning, are you sure she…” Cotton started before Waverly placed a delicate hand on his arm and looked at him pointedly.

“Young man, I would really appreciate it if you would visit the blacksmith for me.”

“Ohhh…” Cotton said as her intention finally sunk in. “Yes Ms Waverly, I would be happy to ask for a spade for Ms Nicole. How long before I should collect you from Shorty’s?”

“Let’s say an hour. Would that be sufficient time?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Cotton said as he smiled from ear to ear. “I’ll be back in exactly one hour. From the blacksmith. With a spade.”

Waverly laughed at his nervous energy and straightened the collar of his shirt. “You look very handsome, Cotton. Mattie is a lucky girl.”

Blushing for the second time that morning, Cotton ran his fingers through his blond wavy hair and proudly puffed out his chest. “I think you, Ms Waverly. I hope her father agrees. See you in an hour!” Waverly smiled as the young man practically skipped off towards the blacksmith.

Forty minutes later Waverly sat at a table in the back of the saloon with their dear family friend, Shorty. He had been Waverly’s father’s best boyhood friend and watched Waverly and her sister grow up. When their father died, Shorty did what he could to look after them and her mother. He had always been like an uncle to the Earp girls and she treasured every opportunity she had to visit with him when she came into town.

“That Nicole is somethin’ else.” Shorty said as Waverly shared the story of her adventure up the mountain to fetch the loose cattle. “She’s a tough old bird.”

“That she is.” Waverly said with a laugh. “And stubborn as a mule. She’s lucky she’s so throughly stolen my heart. One little smile with those dimpled cheeks and she’s forgiven for whatever worry she puts me through.”

“What are you…” Shorty started before being interrupted. “I beg your pardon. I don’t mean to interrupt but I wanted to inquire about the unfortunate situation I’m told happened with your cattle, Mrs Haught. I do hope your wife was able to safely return the creatures to their pen.”

Waverly’s skin crawled when she looked up to see none other than Bobo Svane, the leader of the local outlaws that had terrorized the town and it’s people until Nicole became Sheriff and all but ran them out. Wynonna had dealt with them from time to time but for the most part they kept to themselves on property Bobo had lived on as long as anyone could remember.

“Thank you for your concern, Bobo but she and the animals are safely back on the ranch. Might I ask how you heard about our misfortune? I’ve only just told Shorty and before him not a soul beyond our property would have known.” Waverly had an even creepier feeling about him than her usual creepy feeling he gave her.

 

“Well that’s good to hear. I suppose I heard it from someone in town. Maybe one of your ranch hands carelessly spoke of it and I overheard. Who knows how one learns of these things? I won’t keep you any longer. Please tell Sheriff Haught I asked after her. I would hate to hear something terrible had happened to her or anyone she cared for before she was able to give me an answer to the offer I presented her regarding the land. I eagerly await her decision. Good day to you both.” Bobo bowed as he took his leave.

When Bobo had left the saloon, Shorty reached across the table to touch Waverly’s hand. “You okay, sweetheart? What was that about?”

Waverly felt a chill run down her spine as she processed Bobo’s words in her mind. “I have no idea but I intend to find out.”

“He realizes Nicole is no longer the Sheriff, does he not?” Shorty asked as they both stood and pushed in their chairs.

“Oh, he knows. It’s all part of the game he plays to get under her skin. He thinks he’s smart but I fear the day he finds out what happens when you push Nicole Haught too far. She’s a patient woman and I’ve never seen her break but if he thinks he can threaten those she holds dear and not pay a price, he’s mistaken.”

Shorty shook his head as he reached behind the bar for a bottle of Whiskey as Cotton entered the saloon to take Waverly home. “Please take this to share at your family dinner tonight and you give each one of them a big hug from old Shorty.”

Waverly takes the bottle with a smile as she wraps her arms arms around the big man. “Thanks Shorty, I love you.”

“Love you too, little one. You be extra vigilant on your way home, Cotton. I didn’t like the look in Bobo’s eyes.”

“Will do, Mr Shorty.” Cotton said as he offered Waverly his arm.

“Let’s get home, Cotton. I need to speak to my wife.


	4. Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Haught's and Earp's enjoy a family dinner together where the pieces start to come together regarding who was behind the cattle being released.

Nicole wiped the sweat from her brow as she leaned against the barn door and watched the sun dip below the horizon. She’d worked herself to the bone but it was worth every ache and pain to afford time alone with her wife on their picnic the following day. Stealing these moments together became more and more difficult as their ranch grew but it also made them all the more precious. Becoming a rancher wasn’t the easiest path she could have chosen but when the day was done she was proud of an honest days work and the life she was able to provide her family.

“You ready to get cleaned up, boss?” Doc asked as he latched the barn door. “I am sure the girls are going to be wonderin’ where we got to.” Wynonna had shown up a couple hours before to keep her sister company while she made dinner. She’d killed and plucked the chicken for their meal and then sat and talked to Waverly while the rest was prepared.

“I expect you’re right. There’s still a few things I want to get done first thing in the mornin’ and after that I’ll leave it to you to know what else needs doin’.” Nicole said as she removed her chaps and hung them on the hook outside the barn. “Let’s wash up at the pump before we track all this dust into the house.”

Ten minutes later they both stood in the kitchen in their sock feet, down to their jeans and undershirts with their hair wet and arms and hands scrubbed as good as they were going to get. “You look like you were raised by wolves but I guess it’ll do for now.” Waverly said as she wiped a streak of dirt from Nicole’s cheek before kissing the tip of her nose. “I’m not going to ask you to take a bath tonight since we are swimming in the lake tomorrow but I am going to give you a once over with a wet cloth before you get in my bed tonight.”

“Your bed, huh?” Nicole said as she wrapped the brunette up in a hug. “I do thank you for letting me share it with you on occasion.”

“Okay Haught, that’s enough of the bedding my baby sister talk.” Wynonna said as she guided Doc into a chair and curled up on his lap.

Nicole laughed as Waverly gave her a quick kiss on the lips and walked back to the stove. “This is just about done.” She said as she pulled the chicken from the oven. “I hope you’re hungry because Wynonna picked a big chicken for our supper.”

The four of them sat down and filled their plates with food. The largest meal of the day was typically eaten mid-day but since Nicole hadn’t wanted to stop working very long earlier in the day, they agreed to have the big meal in the evening. 

When their bellies were full and everything washed up and put away, the four of them sat on the porch with the bottle of Whiskey Shorty had given them and enjoyed the warm, late summer night air. “This is purt near perfect, wouldn’t you say?” Nicole said as Waverly sat between her legs and leaned back against her broad chest.

“Perfect.” Waverly agreed. “Did the two of you ever figure out how those cattle escaped?”

Nicole and Doc both grumbled as they each took another sip of Whiskey from the bottle and passed it to Wynonna.

“There’s just no way it was an accident. It is not impossible they could have gotten out but there’s no way they could have hidden their escape route. It had to be intentional. Had to be.” Nicole said.

“I’ve been over it again and again in my head and asked myself who would do something like that and the only thing I can come up with is Bobo. He’s the only one yellow-bellied enough to not just confront you face to face.” Doc said. “The thing I can’t figure is why now? You are not even Sheriff any longer.”

“I don’t kn…” Nicole started before Waverly cut her off. “I think I know why.”

Sitting up so she could see Nicole’s face, Waverly took a deep breath as she organized her thoughts. “I wasn’t going to talk to you about this until we were alone but now I think it better everyone hears. This mornin’ when I was visiting with Shorty, Bobo stopped by our table.”

“What!?” Nicole was ready to grab her gun and go after the man before she even knew what exactly happened. It was no secret that she and Bobo hated each other. The two had butted heads many times while she was Sheriff but Nicole was never able to catch him with enough evidence to do any kind of lasting damage. The frustration of having to release him time and again when she knew he or his men were responsible for a number of things that terrorized the townsfolk was maddening. As a Sheriff, sworn to protect the people of Purgatory, she felt helpless. The mere thought of that animal speaking to her wife had her on edge and ready for a fight.

Waverly rested a gentle hand on Nicole’s. “It’s okay sweetheart, Shorty was there and we were surrounded by others. He was cordial but the entire interaction left me unsettled.”

“What exactly did he say, Waverly?” Nicole tried to keep the tension from her voice but she could see from the expression on her wife’s face that she was failing. “I’m sorry, sweetie, he just gets me so upset.”

“I know.” Waverly said as she kissed Nicole’s hand and continued her story. “He asked after you and the cattle. I asked how he knew what had happened and he suggested one of our ranch hands had said something that he overheard but I didn’t believe it for one minute.”

“My boys haven’t even been into town other than Cotton when he escorted you this morning. It wouldn’t be possible for him to have heard from one of them.” Doc said.

Nicole nodded in agreement before she turned back to her wife. “Did he say anything else?”

Waverly seemed uncomfortable and Nicole could plainly see she was hesitant to share the rest of the conversation. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I hate Bobo more than just about anything on this earth but I’m not a young buck who is going to do anything rash without thinking things through. We need all the information you can give us if we’re going to know what to do next.” Reaching out to hold Waverly’s hand for reassurance, Nicole gave her an encouraging smile. “It’s okay, baby. What did he say?”

Relaxing into the affection Nicole offered, Waverly took a deep breath and finished her story. “He said he was glad you were okay and that he’d hate for anything bad to happen to you or someone you loved before he had an answer about the land he offered to purchase from…you.”

Nicole tensed at the mention of the land. She hadn’t spoken to her wife about Bobo’s offer to purchase a portion of their land because she knew they would never entertain the idea of that monster owning anything near them. Seeing the hurt in Waverly’s eyes she realized keeping that information to herself was a mistake. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you before. He approached me when I was in town buying supplies and I told him we weren’t now and never would be interested in selling to him. He insisted I take time to think on the offer but since I knew there wasn’t a chance in hell, I put it out of my mind. I didn’t mention it to you because I knew you wouldn’t entertain the idea either so there wasn’t a reason to bother you about it. I see now that was a mistake and for that, I apologize.”

Waverly snuggled back into Nicole’s chest and pulled the larger womans arms around her. “I understand, sweetie. In the future please share that stuff with me though. I was blindsided when he mentioned it and that’s never a position you want to find yourself in around that scoundrel.”

“You’re absolutely right, never again.” Nicole said as she kissed the top of Waverly’s head.

“Well, that gives us a little more insight into what happened with the cattle but I still don’t understand why that land is worth all this trouble.” Wynonna said as she took another pull of whiskey. “Where is this magical land he wants?”

“I didn’t actually let him get that far.” Nicole said with a sigh. “I cut his request off before he was able to share the specifics. I honestly didn’t think it would matter because I knew we wouldn’t be interested.”

“Unfortunately, as you know, there’s nothing I can do as the law without proof or a confession that he’s responsible for letting your cattle out. I think we should all keep a much closer eye on things here until things settle a bit.”

“Agreed. Can you set up a schedule with the boys to keep someone on watch until we get a handle on this? I have no idea how far Bobo is willing to take the threats but I don’t intend to get surprised again.”

“Consider it done.” Doc said. “The boys will be distressed to find out he is responsible and will want to know how they can help.”

Nicole gave him an appreciative nod. She was fortunate to have such good people working for her and she knew Doc was a huge part of that. They’d both been involved when hiring but Doc had pretty much hand picked his team and he was a great leader. She knew those men would do anything for him and in turn, do anything for her and the ranch. “Let’s plan a barn dance for next month. I think it would be good to have a little fun and show the boys how much we appreciate them.”

“Oh Nic, that would be wonderful! I don’t want to spoil any surprises but I suspect there’s a chance we might could turn it into an engagement celebration. Cotton told me he was plannin’ to ask young Miss Perley for her hand in marriage soon. He already has the ring and everything.” Waverly said with obvious excitement.

The site of her wife, beaming with joy melted Nicole’s heart. “You’re the cutest thing I ever did see, Waverly Haught.” Nicole said as she kissed what she was sure were the sweetest lips ever to grace someone’s mouth.

Wynonna and Doc took the hint and both stood. “Well, that’s our signal to get out of here before things happen I don’t want to be privy to.”

Nicole and Waverly laughed as they stood to hug their family goodbye. 

“Unless you think it needs to start tonight, I’ll get the boys on a rotation to watch the barns and your house tomorrow mornin’.” Doc said as he and Wynonna climbed onto their horses.

“Tomorrow is just fine. You two have a good evenin’.” Nicole said as she led her wife into the house.


	5. Ms Bossy Pants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly comforts her troubled wife after the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. Chicken soup may help fight a cold but orgasms are the best remedy for stress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty much sex followed by a little more sex with some comfort scattered in there. Things are going to get more stressful next chapter so I wanted them to connect before the shit hits the fan.

The muffled sound of wood being thrown on the fire woke Waverly from her sleep. Peeling her eyes open she saw the silhouette of her wife sitting in a chair, staring at the flames. She wasn’t surprised to find her there. She’d felt Nicole tossing and turning all night and knew the thing with Bobo was weighing heavy on her mind. Waverly tried her best to coax her back to sleep but finally her troubled wife stood and walked into the main room, leaving her alone in their bed.

When the loneliness of their room felt too much, she’d pulled a blanket from the bed and brought it to the sofa where Nicole sat staring at the fire. She knew her wife wasn’t in a space to talk at that moment so she curled up next to her and fell back asleep.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but she could see through the windows that it was still pitch black outside. Sliding from the sofa, Waverly picked the blanket up and carried it in front of the fireplace, closer to the fire. “Why don’t you lay down here with me, sweetie?” she quietly asked.

“Hmm?” Nicole rumbled, not taking her eyes from the flames.

Waverly’s heart hurt for the woman she loved. The normally stoic, warrior who protected her from the evils of the world. She knew the idea that Bobo and his goons had made it onto their land to release the cattle without Nicole realizing they were there, had her tied in knots.

“It’ll be okay, sweetie.” Waverly said as she took Nicole’s hand and pulled her down onto the pallet in front of the fire. “We’ll figure this out together. You’re not going to be any good to anyone if you don’t get some sleep though.”

Nicole had a lost look in her eyes as she gave Waverly a sad smile. “I know. I’m sorry, sweetie. I can’t help but go over the last few weeks in my head. It’s not like I didn’t know something was going on but I think tonight it hit me that you were alone here without anyone to protect you while I was off looking for the cattle.”

“It’s not your fault baby and nothing happened.”

Nicole sighed. “I know. I know nothing happened but it could have and I never would have forgiven myself.”

“You know I’m not as delicate and weak as you think I am, Nicole.” Waverly couldn’t help but feel insulted that her wife sometimes treated her like a fragile doll instead of the strong, capable woman she was. The words stung Nicole and Waverly could see the regret in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Waves. I don’t mean to sound like I don’t know you can take care of yourself. It’s nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. It’s in my nature to want to protect you. Not just you but everyone I love. I know it sometimes comes out as a bit overbearing but I truly don’t mean it to be. You’re the strongest, smartest, most capable woman I’ve ever known. It’s one of the things that attracted me to you in the first place. That and the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.” Nicole leaned over her wife and planted soft kisses around those same brown eyes.

“You need to learn to trust that I can take care of myself, Nicole Haught. You won’t always be around and you can’t protect me all the time. You need to trust that I will do whatever it takes to spend the rest of my life with you. I’ve got old lady plans with you and I don’t intend on not seeing them through.”

“Old lady plans?” Nicole laughed. “I’m not sure I want to know what old lady plans are.”

“Well, someday we won’t want to be ranchers anymore. Someday we’ll be too old to mess with all this hard work and we’re going to want to have a spot to take it easy.” Waverly said as she tucked herself into Nicole’s side.

“Where do you intend on us doing that? Do you have a gold mine I don’t know about?”

Waverly laughed and sat up on her elbow, hovering over Nicole’s body. “Maybe. Maybe I’ve got millions tucked away and I’m just waiting to make sure your intentions are pure before I show it to you.”

“Oh Mrs Haught, my intentions are decidedly not pure.” Nicole moved to pull Waverly down with her but the smaller woman pushed her shoulders into the blanket as she climbed on top of her supine body.

“I think you, my big strong wife, need a reminder that I’m not the delicate flower you sometimes make me out to be.”

“That’s not…” Nicole started before Waverly pressed a finger to her lips to stop the argument. “Shhh, let me give that mouth something to do.”

Nicole’s eyes went wide as Waverly scooted up to straddle her shoulders, lifted her delicate lacy white night gown and lowered her pussy to the red heads waiting mouth. “Mmmm.” Nicole moaned as Waverly started to rock onto her eager tongue.

“That’s my good girl. Make me feel good. You take such good care of me, don’t you?”

Nicole nodded her head and slid her hands into the back of Waverly’s nightgown so she could grab her perfect ass and direct her body as it ground into her mouth.

“No, no, no, my sweet lover. Keep your hands to your sides while I use your body to get myself off. You’re not in control this time. You got it?”

Nicole nodded.

“You’re here for me to get my pleasure with, aren’t you?”

“Mmmm” Nicole moaned as she nodded again.

“Good girl. You feel so fucking good licking my pussy like that. I could sit on that hot tongue all night but I want you inside of me. Will you stick your fingers inside me and fuck me until I come?” Waverly lifted herself off Nicole’s mouth so she could speak.

“Yes.” Nicole said as she pulled in lung fulls of air, winded both from having Waverly’s body on her chest and from the excitement she was feeling.

“Yes, what?” Waverly asked with a smile as she ran a finger down her lovers chin, smearing the wetness she left behind onto her chest.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That’s better. You’re learning fast. I’m so proud of you.” Waverly could tell it was taking everything Nicole had to hold back and not take control. They’d played a little with power dynamics and Nicole not always being in charge but not often and not to this extent. She loved when her wife was dominant in bed. It was honestly what felt most natural to them both but occasionally it was nice to mix their roles up a bit. It was clear Nicole was in full agreement.

Nicole’s eyes were glossy as she looked up at her wife with nothing but pure lust. Waverly reached back and slid her hand between the taller woman’s legs and gently squeezed. Her lover jerked slightly at the touch as another moan escaped her mouth. “It looks like someone is just as wet as me. We’ll take care of you once I’ve been satisfied. We can’t leave you hard like that without any attention?”

Leaning forward so she was on all fours, Waverly hovered over her wife’s head. “Listen carefully my love, I’m going to lower my pussy back onto your mouth so you can suck on my clit. You’re allowed to use one hand to gather the wetness I’ve so kindly provided and use two fingers to fuck me. Do you understand?”

Nicole nodded with an excited look on her face and raised her right hand, dipping her fingers into the soft folds to gather wetness. Waverly was dripping so her wife was able to make her fingers plenty wet to ensure an easy glide into her tight channel.

Waverly gasped as she felt the long fingers stretch her most delicate area. “You feel so good. You’re making me feel so fucking good.” She said as she rocked back and forth, rubbing her clit against Nicole’s mouth as she worked the fingers in and out. “I’m so close, Nicole. Don’t stop. I’m going to come in your mouth, baby.” Waverly’s motions became more urgent as she felt her muscles tense before screaming her release.

They were both completely still as Nicole felt Waverly’s center continue to contract and release. 

When she felt she could move again she reached back and gently pulled her wife’s hand from her body before collapsing in a heap on the blanket next to her.

“Honey, I…where…I just never expected that to come out of you.” Nicole stumbled, clearly at a loss for words.

Waverly laughed as she lazily patted Nicole’s chest. “I’m not sure I knew it was inside me. It was sure fun though.”

“Super fun.” Nicole said as she rolled onto her side and kissed Waverly’s still flushed cheek. “Do you prefer to be…”

“No, no, no.” Waverly cut her off before she could finish her question. “I’m very happy to let you take the lead the majority of the time. I love to have my big strong wife take control and make me feel amazing but occasionally it’s fun to play the bossy pants.”

Nicole wrapped Waverly in a big hug and rolled them until she was on top. “Do you think you can help me out a little, Ms Bossy Pants?” Waverly laughed at the sad face she gave her as she straddled her thigh and rubbed her soaking wet center back and forth in search of relief.

“My poor baby.” Waverly said as she unbuttoned her undergarments and slipped a hand inside. Slipping her fingers through warm, wet folds she felt a thrill run through her body knowing she could excite her wife so much. “I’m going to take care of you now, sweetheart. Just let me make you feel good.”

Nicole’s head dropped to Waverly’s shoulder as she hovered above the smaller woman, trying not to put too much weight on her. “I’m so close, baby. It’s not going to take much.”

“Kiss me, sweetie.”

Hovered above her wife, Nicole melted into one of the most passionate kisses they’d ever shared. The emotions of everything that had happened recently seemed to spark an avalanche of feelings that felt almost out of control. 

“I love you so much, Waverly. I need you.” Nicole panted as Waverly’s steady rhythm on her clit became almost frantic.

“I love you, too. Please come for me, baby. I want to feel you come in my hand. I’m right here for you. Always.”

Waverly could feel Nicole tense and shake above her. The power and heat coming off of her wife’s body when she came always amazed her. Every muscle rippled in the red head as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. “That’s my good girl. Come for me, Nic.”

After what seemed like minutes, Nicole finally collapsed next to her wife, rolling onto her back and gasping for air. “Holy shit Waves, I can’t believe how strong that was.”

Waverly snuggled into Nicole’s side and rested her head on her shoulder. “I love you so much.”

“It’s a good thing because I plan on spending the rest of my life following you around like a little puppy dog.”

Laughing, Waverly gave Nicole one last goodnight kiss before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.


	6. Picnic by the Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly spend a relaxing afternoon at the lake. What starts out as the perfect little romantic getaway suddenly turns to disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last orgasms these two crazy kids will have for a few chapter so smoke em if you've got em.

Nicole groaned as she picked up the harness and slung it over the back of Waverly’s horse, Buttercup. A wedding gift on their wedding day, the buckskin mare and Waverly had been inseparable ever since. She wasn’t positive her wife wouldn’t sometimes rather sleep out in the barn with Buttercup rather than listen to Nicole’s snoring.

“Ready for a picnic, girl?” She asked as she slipped the bit into her mouth. “We’re going to have a nice day down by the lake with the prettiest girl we know.”

“You girls flatter me so.” Waverly said from the doorway.

“Oh, hey sweetie! Butterball here is just about ready to go and then we can head to the lake.”

“Don’t call her that, she doesn’t like it.” Waverly said with fake indignation.

Nicole laughed as she wrapped her arms around her wife and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “How did you sleep? I tried to slip out without waking you this morning so you could get as much shut eye as possible.”

“I appreciate that.” Waverly said as she snuggled deeper into Nicole’s arms. “I was up not long after you trying to get things ready for this afternoon. Did you get everything done you wanted to get done this morning?”

Releasing her and stepping back, Nicole took Buttercups reins and walked her out of the barn towards the waiting cart. “I did. I think I’m in a good spot to leave everything else for tomorrow. Doc and the boys are out in the East pasture gathering up the stock we were grazing out there. They should be back in a couple hours and they can finish up the stuff for today without me getting in their way.”

“Back.” Nicole told the horse as she maneuvered her between the shafts. “Can you hold her while I get her hooked up?” 

“With pleasure.” Waverly said as she took the reigns and cooed at the horse as she waited for Nicole to finish attaching the cart. “You’re my big beautiful girl, aren’t you?” Buttercup leaned into her human, obviously soaking up the affection being offered. 

“You coddle that horse.” Nicole teased with a wink.

“Well, I seem to recall finding you baby talking Clint a time or two.”

“That’s different.” She mumbled with a smile. Nicole’s horse, Clint was not only the best horse she had ever had but besides Waverly, the greatest friend. Not usually a gambler, Sheriff Haught had won the horse off a miner with a terrible temper that thought the only way to treat an animal to behave was by beating it into submission. One evening after seeing the man try to force him to pull a load that was much too heavy for the animal to bear, she’d had enough and challenged him to a game of poker. Three hours and a bottle of whiskey later, Nicole was the proud owner of a black Morgan gelding.

After one final check that all buckles where secure, Nicole held out her hand to help her wife onto the seat of the two person cart. “You’ll need to hold the picnic basket on your lap.” Nicole said as she handed her the beautifully woven basket. “You seem to be buzzing with excitement.” She said as she climbed aboard and picked up the reigns.

“Oh, I am. It seems like forever since we spent a day down by the lake together. It’s one of my favorite things to do.” Waverly said as she shivered with excitement.

Nicole smiled at her wife as she clicked to the horse to get her to start walking. Their lake was a twenty minute ride from the homestead and the two women used that time to catch up on all the little things they hadn’t shared since their lives had been so busy. Nicole reckoned sitting next to her wife on a beautiful sunny day was probably about as close to perfect as life could get.

 

###########################

 

“If you keep making meals like that we’ll need to grease the doors to squeeze me into the house. Poor Clint is going to run off when he sees me walk up to him with a saddle.”

Waverly laughed as they lie next to each other on a blanket under a shade tree. Nicole had shed her boots and britches and was left in only a cotton shirt, unbuttoned half way to her belly button. “Don’t blame me for your inability to know when enough’s enough, Mrs Haught.”

Nicole moaned as she curled up in the smaller womans lap. “Well, I might not need dinner. That was probably the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. You know I have a weakness for fried chicken.”

“That’s exactly why I made it.” Waverly said as she ran her fingers through silky red hair. “I wanted everything to be perfect today.”

“Every day I spend with you is perfect, my love.”

“You old flatterer. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to seduce me.”

Nicole laughed as she reached up to kiss soft lips. “You can pretty much assume I’m always trying to seduce you.” As the kiss deepened, Waverly laid back on the blanket as Nicole opened the summer dress she was wearing and pulled a nipple into her mouth.

“Mmmmm” she moaned as a long digit reached down to dip into her increasingly wet folds. 

“May I go inside?” Nicole asked as she ran the finger around the edge of her center. “Please baby, I need to be inside you.” She knew she sounded desperate but that’s exactly how she felt. 

“Please, Nic.” Waverly said with a gasp as first one and then two fingers gently entered her aching pussy.

Nicole hovered over her wife and pulled the smaller woman’s sun dress up so she could straddle her soft thigh. Waverly lifted her leg up to meet her as Nicole’s hand wedged between her thigh and her lovers pussy. Rocking back and forth she used her leg as leverage to gently fuck her.

“You’re so tight, Waves. It always amazes me how tight you are for me. Can you feel me stretching your tight pussy?” Nicole felt like she was in a trance as she rode Waverly’s thigh towards her climax. “Are you going to come for me, baby?”

“Yes Nic, can you come with me?” Waverly panted.

Nicole’s movements became more frantic as she felt her pleasure building. “I’m close. I’m so close.”

“Come for me, stud. Give me everything you have.” Waverly said.

Slipping a third and final finger into Waverly, Nicole pushed in one more time stretching Waverly’s pussy to the edge of pain as her delicate walls were stretched which sent them both over the edge. Sweat dripped from Nicole’s forehead as they both screamed their release.

Gasping, Nicole collapsed next to her wife. “I think I could die right here and now the happiest woman ever to have walked upon this earth.”

Waverly rolled over to kiss her wife on the cheek. “There’s more where that came from so you better stick around.”

“Well, as long as the future holds more of what we just did, you’ve convinced me.”

Laughing, Waverly snaked her fingers into Nicole’s side and tickled the red head until she jumped and moved to the other side of the blanket. “You better watch it little one.” She said with as serious a look as she could muster.

“Oh yeah, what are you going to do about it?” Waverly shot back before jumping to her feet and running around to put the tree trunk between Nicole and herself.

Still in her shirt tails, Nicole quickly stood up and chased after the smaller woman. Running through the grass in their bare feet, they chased each other around until both were out of breath. “I give up. You win.” Nicole said as she bent at the waist, trying to catch her breath. “I’m covered in sweat. I think I’m going to jump in the lake. Want to come?”

Waverly reached out her hand to be led to the waters edge. The lake wasn’t a terribly large body of water but it was plenty big and deep enough for the water to stay fairly clear. Sitting on the edge the two watched fish dart in and out of view, searching for bugs landing on the waters surface.

“I think I’m going to jump off the rocks.” Nicole said, indicating the rocky cliff that made up the north west border.

“You be careful, Nic.”

Nicole could see the anxiety in her wife’s eyes. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ve jumped off those rocks a million times.”

“I know. It makes me nervous every time you do but I’m feeling extra anxious these days. I think that whole thing with the cattle has me spooked.”

“I’ll be okay, sweetheart. I’m pretty much healed at this point and I won’t do anything too crazy. You want to watch me so I can impress you?” Nicole stood and removed her last piece of clothing as she walked around to the other side of the lake.

Waverly shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you woman. You tell me you aren’t going to do anything crazy and then immediately tell me you’re gong to try to impress me. You better not break yourself, Nicole Haught.”

Laughing the red head blew her wife a kiss. “You just watch. You’re going to be so impressed you’re going to fall in love with me all over again.”

“Okay, but don’t do anything stupid.”

As Nicole climbed the rocks she thought she heard Buttercup pawing at the ground. Scrambling the rest of the way up to the top she blocked the sun with her hand and looked around for anything amiss. They’d taken the horse’s harness off to let her graze while they were at the lake. When Nicole found her just beyond their blanket, she could see she seemed alert but not overly anxious. “What’s wrong with Buttercup?”

Waverly had heard the horse as well and was on her feet, buttoning her dress back up. “I don’t know. You don’t see anything from up there, do you?”

Nicole looked one more time but didn’t see a thing. “Nope. Silly horse probably wants to get back to the barn. It’s just about dinner time and we know how she likes her meals.”

“Leave my horse alone!” Waverly said with a laugh. “Okay Haught, make me fall in love all over again.”

Nicole waved at her wife before taking one step back and leaning forward into a handstand on the edge of the rock ledge. As she held her weight in the air she heard a shot ring out a split second before she felt a searing pain in her right shoulder. The sudden pain caused her arm to collapse as she tumbled over the rock ledge. As she fell towards the water below she heard horse hooves and a scream before her head hit a protruding rock and everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a basic outline of how each chapter of this story will play out but I have to say, writing this right after the season 3 finale was a little rough. lol I'm still processing everything that happened at the end of the season so it made it a little more difficult to put these two in peril.


	7. Swallowed by the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole struggles to stay alive after an attack during a quiet Sunday picnic with Waverly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Peeps! I didn't want to leave everyone in too much suspense after that last chapter. Of course, this chapter will answer some questions but not all so...sorry!
> 
> This is a short one but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading and thanks so much for the comments and kuddos. You guys are awesome! <3

The shock of her limp body breaking the surface of the cold water jolted Nicole awake. Disoriented from the fall the only thing that registered in her mind was pain and darkness as she quickly sank to the bottom of the lake. _Move Haught! Swim!_ She thought as she mentally kicked herself in the ass.

Kicking her legs she weakly pushed herself to the surface. The pain in her arm and head threatened to pull her back into unconsciousness but she fought the urge with all her strength. Her only thought was Waverly. _Where is Waverly? Was that her screaming?_ As she finally reached the surface she gasped lung fulls of air between coughs and sputters.

“Waverly!?” She screamed into the silence. “Waverly!?” Struggling to keep herself afloat she heard the faint sound of hooves echoing in the canyon to the west of the lake. Using her legs and one good arm, she turned her body and squinted enough to make out a horse and rider with a kicking and screaming bundle slung over the saddle.

“Waverly, I’m coming!” Nicole screamed as she struggled to pull herself towards the shore. Every movement was torture as her vision narrowed and her head throbbed. _Come on, Haught._ _Get your shit together._ As the shore came closer and closer, Nicole scanned the area for any other possible threats. When she decided the coast was clear she pulled herself onto the sand and crawled with her one good arm until she was clear of the water. Collapsing in the mud she did her best to steady her breathing and clear her head.

Picking up the shirt she had discarded earlier, she awkwardly slipped it over her head and pulled her one good arm through the sleeve. Wiping her face, she noticed the white material was covered in blood that had seeped from her head. _That can’t be good._ She thought as her vision threatened to tunnel once again. _No. No! Think Haught. What’s your next move? Buttercup. Where’s Buttercup?_

Looking around she saw no sign of the horse anywhere. Their picnic was undisturbed and the cart sat right where they had left it only a few hours ago. _God damn horse, where the fuck are you?_ Nicole knew there was no way she could chase down the rider on foot and her head injury was making it hard to piece together another plan. _I have to stop the blood_. She thought as blood dripping into her eye reminded her of the immediate issue.

Tearing off a strip of the blanket she wrapped it around her head and checked her arm. The bullet had almost gone through and through but was stopped just short by nicking her bone which slowed it down enough to lose it’s momentum and lodge itself in her muscle. Since she was shot from behind, she could feel the tip of the bullet when she touched the front of her bicep. _That’s got to come out. Fuck, that’s going to hurt like hell. You can do this Haught. You need to find Waverly. Waverly needs you._

Stumbling over to where she’d left her boots and britches, Nicole pulled the knife from the sheath attached to her belt. Knowing it would only be more difficult later, she put on her britches and clumsily pulled on her boots before dragging herself back to the blanket. _Just need a second._ She thought as she tried to catch her breath. _No! No. Can’t rest until Waverly is safe._

Functioning more on will and love than anything else, Nicole removed a leather strap from the picnic basket and slipped it between her teeth. _Come on Nicole, you can do this._ She encouraged herself as she touched her arm to gauge the best spot to cut. When she felt the tip of the bullet buried under the skin she took a deep breath and held it as she bit down on the leather strap and held the blade in position.

 _Here goes nothing._ She thought as she drug the blade in one direction and then crossed that line with another to create an incision. _Of all times to forget my flask._ Nicole knew she would likely end up with an infection but had run out of options in her current predicament.

With the incision cut, Nicole knew the pain had only just begun. Wiping her fingers as best she could on her dirty shirt, she laid back on the blanket and waited for her head to stop spinning before proceeding. When she thought she was as steady as she was going to get she dipped into the hole she had made in her arm and began digging down until she wrapped her fingers around the metal of the bullet. _Just a little more, Haught. Almost there._ She thought as she took another deep breath and started pulling the projectile out of her muscle. The pain was so intense Nicole felt the blackness closing in around her as she struggled to stay conscious. _No! No! Don’t give up now. You’re almost there._

When the bullet was finally pulled to the surface and clear of her arm, Nicole spit the leather strap from her mouth and sucked in deep breaths, one after the other. Looking down at her fingers still gripping the bullet, she saw it was covered in blood and small fragments of bone. _Well, look at that._ She thought before her head fell back against the blanket and darkness claimed her once more.


	8. Cabin in the woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly is taken to a cabin in the woods while she waits to be taken to Bobo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Sorry for the delay everyone. I'm getting ready for a trip to Dallas to see my family and there's just not enough hours in the day. Waverly is alive! I'm sure that's not a surprise but at least now you get to learn where she was taken. :)
> 
> Thanks so much for the Kudos and comments. As always, they totally make my day. We're more than half way through this story. I promise a happy ending...well, not for Bobo of course.

Every muscle in Waverly’s body screamed when they finally stopped and she was pulled from the horse. Rocks and sticks stung her tender bare feet as she was roughly dropped on the ground. She could see enough under the blindfold to know it was dark but after hours blindfolded on horseback she had no idea where she had been taken. Keep your head about you, Waverly. You just have to keep it together until Nicole can find you. She thought to herself as her captor pulled her by her bound hands through the darkness.

“If you’d take my blindfold off, I could walk on my own.” She said as the man practically drug her across the rough ground.

“Bobo told me not to take it off. He says to tie you to the bed in the cabin.”

“Tied to the bed!?” Waverly said as a new level of panic set in.

“Not for any fun reasons you dumb bitch. Bobo said I ain’t allowed to touch you other than get you, bring you back here and tie you to the bed.”

Waverly tripped on a hard wooden step as the man drug her up what she assumed where stairs to a cabin or building of some sort. She could hear the creak of a heavy door before she was shoved forward, hitting the floor with a thud. Even though she was still blindfolded she could feel they were inside a small room. The stagnant air and wreak of tobacco and piss made her stomach turn.

“Will you please remove my blindfold?” She asked as she used her elbows to pull herself up from the floor to a sitting position.

“No.” The man coldly answered without discussion.

“Well, you’re a terrible host.” She said as she was jerked up by her bound wrists once again and tossed onto a bed. The overwhelming smell of sweat hit her nostrils like a slap to the face as the man secured her bound hands to the metal bed frame.

“Now you lay here and shut the fuck up until they come get you.”

“You’re never going to get away with this. My wife is going to find you and kill you.” Waverly said as she fought the urge to cry. She wasn’t much of a crier but she was so exhausted she could feel her emotions creeping towards the surface.

“Keep dreaming little girl. Your red headed bitch isn’t going to be finding anyone. I suspect she’s lying dead at the bottom of the lake at this point.” 

“You keep thinking that you piece of shit.” Waverly said as her anger bubbled to the surface. “Nicole’s coming for you and she’ll make sure you hang for this.”

The man chuckled and tossed her a chunk of bread. “You better eat up. Someone will be here soon to take you to Bobo and they might not be as kind as me.” Waverly ignored the chunk of bread as she rested her head against the cold metal of the bed frame. There was no way Nicole was dead. Waverly could feel it in her bones. She would never die and leave Waverly in danger. Logically she knew that’s not how death worked but she felt deep in her soul that Nicole would find her and make these assholes pay. 

She knew she needed a plan but her exhaustion made putting one together near impossible. _I’ll close my eyes for just a minute to let myself rest and then I’m finding a way out of this mess. _She thought as her eyes slowly slid shut.__

____

____

The sound of horses approaching the cabin woke Waverly with a start. She could tell it was still dark outside but didn’t know how much time had passed. She heard a chair slide across the floor as her abductor stood and ran out the door to greet the new arrivals. She could hear muffled voices outside as the men spoke and had to focus to hear what they were saying. 

“Did you ride around to throw them off your trail like the boss said?” One weaselly sounding man asked.

“I’m not a fucking idiot, Hank. I know what I’s supposed to do and I did it. Besides, that bitch is probably in the bottom of the lake feeding the fish by now.” Her captor said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” a deep voice asked.

“I shot her when she was diving off a cliff into the lake and she fell forward into the water. I ‘spect she drowned.”

Waverly heard her captor yelp before a thud like a body being thrown against a wall. “Why’d you do that for Earl?” He whined as the third man laughed.

“You fucked up big time you fucking idiot.” The deep voice said. “Bobo’s going to kill your dumb ass.”

“Why’s he gonna to kill me? I got the the girl just like he told me to. He said to get the girl without the red headed bitch following and ride around for a few hours to mix up the trail and then come straight here and wait for you. He said to tie her to the bed and not to touch her none and to wait for you to come get her. That’s what he said and that’s what I did. Just like he said. It’s how I did it.” Her captor rambled with obvious fear in his voice.

“Do you know why the boss wanted the girl, Craig?” Hank asked.

“I don’t know, is he sweet on her?”

“You’re all kinds of stupid, did you know that Craig? The boss wants to use her as leverage to force the old Sheriff to sell him the land.”

Waverly suspected this was about Bobo and the land but now that she had confirmation she didn’t understand why he would go through so much trouble for a lousy piece of land. 

“When the boss finds out you killed her and this was all for nothing, he’s gonna' take you apart piece by piece.” Earl said with a snarl. “You boys get in that other wagon and lay some tracks heading east. Hank, you’re in charge. This fucknut is a dead man walking.”

Waverly could hear Craig sniffling in the distance as heavy footsteps came towards her. She felt the bed dip as someone sat on the edge. She curled into herself as much as possible while large hands gently worked the knots loose that were tying her to the bed. “What are you doing?” She asked.

“You’re coming with me, little one. Where’s your shoes?” Earl asked. Waverly could smell old coffee and cigar smoke on his breath and cringed as he breathed on her.

“That asshole grabbed me before I could put them on.” 

“He is an asshole, can’t argue with that.” Earl laughed as he finally worked the knot loose. “He could have at least tied you so you could lay on the bed. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

The kindness in the mans voice was disconcerting. Waverly had to remind herself to keep her guard up. 

“Well, he shot my wife and kidnapped me but I guess I’m physically unharmed other than some bruises and scrapes.” Waverly couldn’t keep the hatred from her voice.

“Your wife should have taken the offer Bobo gave her. None of this had to happen.” He said as he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

“She’s going to kill you all for this.” 

The man laughed again. “Sure thing, little one. I’m going to carry you out to the wagon. You be still and do as your told and I won’t let nothin’ happen to you, you hear?” Waverly nodded her head. She knew being compliant was her best option until she could think of a better plan.

“Can you at least take off my blindfold?” Waverly asked she was gently placed in the back of the wagon.

Earl tied her bound hands to the wagon's sideboard before climbing into the drivers bench. “I’m sorry little one. Boss mans orders where to keep you blindfolded until you get to him. You just rest back there and we’ll be to Bobo before you know it.”

“Git!” she heard Earl say to the horses as the wagon lunged forward. Waverly rested her head on the hay covering the back of the wagon, making herself as comfortable as she could while she waited for Nicole to come get her.


	9. The Posse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole is found and a posse is assembled to rescue Waverly from Bobo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Peeps! Sorry for the delay. I was not only out of town but I also needed a little break so I started a modern day CLexa story. I'm totally not forgetting about this one and hope to continue with at least one chapter a week but I'm going to be working on that one as well. I hope you check it out and let me know what you think. :)
> 
> This isn't a super long chapter but it's a necessary one to set up what's going to happen next, rescuing Waverly!!
> 
> Thanks so much for the Kudos and comments and just general support. You guys are awesome and very appreciated. :)

“Haught!” Nicole heard through the fog of semi-consciousness before she heard Wynonna’s voice scream her name once again.

“Wynonna.” she answered weakly. “I’m here Wynonna. Waverly. They have my Waverly.” She was aware of the fact that she was mumbling but didn’t have the energy to do more as she faded back into darkness.

“Haught! Nicole!” Wynonna shook her, kneeling next to her. “Where’s all this blood coming from? Where the fuck is my sister?!” Nicole could hear her sister-in-law was almost in a panic and her first instinct was to reassure her but she couldn’t quite piece together what was happening herself. Squeezing her eyes shut, Nicole forced her mind to clear enough to remember and as the events of the day fell into place she began to panic herself.

“Someone took her Wynonna! Someone took my wife. We have to go get her.” Nicole said as she tried to pull herself up but collapsed back down on the bed. “I have to save her.”

“You aren’t saving anyone like this, Nic. We need to figure out what the fuck is going on. Tell me everything you can remember.”

As Nicole recounted their picnic at the pond her heart hurt at how blissfully naive they were. Why hadn’t she been more cautious? Why hadn’t she known something like this would happen? Protecting Waverly was her number one priority in life and she had failed miserably. “I’m so sorry, Wynonna. I should have known they’d pull something like this. They took her. We have to get her.” Nicole tried to get up once more only to fall back down.

Wynonna helped her up enough to give her water and then gently laid her back onto the bed. “Listen, you’re not doing anyone any good like this. Doc went to gather up a posse and we’re going to get her back. Don’t you worry about that. Rest assured, Bobo’s going to pay for this.”

“You aren’t leaving here without me, Earp. There’s no way in Hell I’m not coming so just get that out of your dadgum head. Give me a few minutes to rest up and I’ll be ready to go. How in the world did you know something was wrong?”

Wynonna sat next to the bed with a bowl of warm water and some clean rags and started cleaning Nicole’s wounds. “Doc saw Buttercup come running back to the barn without Waverly and knew something terrible must have happened. That horse cares about two things, food and our girl. He sent Cotton to fetch me and rode off towards the lake to check on you both. He said he found you passed out in a pool of blood on Waverly’s picnic blanket. She’s going to have something to say about that when we get her back.”

Nicole knew Wynonna was trying to reassure her that her wife would be okay and she appreciated the sentiment but it also sent a stab of guilt through her. “I failed her, Wynonna. I failed her and she’s scared and needs me and I’m lying here in bed.” Unfamiliar tears streamed down her face as she sobbed into her pillow.

“Now, now, Nic, she’s going to be just fine and it isn’t your fault. You should feel safe on your own damn land. Waverly may be little but that girl is tough as nails. If I know her, she’s already formulating a plan to remind Bobo he doesn’t mess with an Earp.”

Nicole flinched when Wynonna began sewing up her shoulder wound but couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Waverly giving Bobo what for. She hoped that was what was happening. She had to believe it was because the thought of losing her wasn’t an option. She didn’t want to know a world without her beautiful little angel. When she flinched again, Wynonna gave her a swig of whiskey to help with the pain. As she closed her eyes she felt the darkness wrap around her once more.

When she came to again she heard Doc and Wynonna talking. “What’s the plan?” She asked as she slowly sat up and took a deep breath to stop her head from spinning.

“No plan for you, my friend. You’re in no shape to sit a horse and be involved in a gun fight.” Doc said as he came over and sat next to her on the bed. “We’ll get your girl back safe as can be without a scratch on that pretty little head.”

“There’s no way in hell I’m staying here napping away while Waverly’s out there in trouble. No way. I’ll go out on my own if I hafta’ but I’m not sitting this one out because of a little gunshot and bump on the head.” Nicole saw the looks that passed between Wynonna and Doc but suspected they weren’t surprised by her response.

“I was afraid you where going to say that, you stubborn old goat. Well, you best get your boots on. The boys are gathering up out front. Deputy Marshal Dolls was in town for some business and asked to tag along. We can sure use his gun.” Doc said as he helped steady Nicole on her feet so she could pull on her britches.

Wynonna walked right up to Nicole and looked her square in the eyes. “You listen here Haught, I love you but I love my baby sister more. The minute you slow us down or become a hindrance, we’re leaving your ass behind. Rescuing Waverly is the only priority in this situation.”

“I’d be pissed if you felt any different. Let’s go get our girl.”


	10. Bobo's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Bobo have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience and sweet words, my friends. I hope you enjoy this chapter. The action is ramping up so hold on to your hats!

The sun beat down on Waverly when they finally came to a stop. She’d been able to sleep on and off but between the movement of the wagon and the tingling of her bound hands she was exhausted. The grumbling of her stomach made her almost regret not eating the bread Craig had offered her the night before.

The wagon shifted as it’s driver got down and walked to the back to untie her from the sideboard. “We’re here little one. Sorry for all the jostling. I know it was a rough ride.”

“Why’re you so nice to me, Earl?” Waverly asked as she was carefully lifted and cradled in the giant man’s arms. He took so long to answer, she wasn’t sure she was going to get a reason.

“I had a daughter ‘bout your age once. She was pretty as a Spring mornin’, same as you.” Earl cleared his throat as he started walking, still cradling Waverly in his arms. “Anyhow, she ain’t here no more. The Lord saw fit to take her and my baby grandson when she was tryin’ to bring him into this cruel world.”

Waverly rested her head against his broad chest. “I’m so sorry, Earl. I’m sure she was the apple of your eye.”

“Umm.” Earl grunted and Waverly knew he wouldn’t share more about her.

“I’m scared, Earl.” She hated to use his kindness to leverage his help but she knew he was her only hope for escape. “I just don’t know what Bobo wants with me. He can be so cruel.”

“Now, now little one, Bobo ain’t gonna’ hurt you none. He just wanted your wife to sell him the land but now that she’s dead he’ll probably be lettin’ you go.”

Waverly could hear the faint sound of men’s voices and knew they must be getting close to their destination and her time with Earl was about to come to an end. “He’ll never let me go. He’ll never be satisfied until he gets what he wants. I’ve never been comfortable with the way he looks at me. He scares me.” She was only slightly exaggerating for his sympathy. Bobo really did scare her and always had ever since she was a little girl. The man had always reminded her of the Big Bad Wolf in the stories her father read to her as a child. Like he would just as well eat her alive as say howdy do.

“I won’t let him hurt you, little one.” He said as he held her closer. “You have my word.”

She had no idea why she trusted this man or if there was anything he could actually do to protect her but the thought that she had at least one person on her side was enough to give her hope. The hollow sound of boots on steps told her they had finally reached their destination. A door creaked open and she was carried inside and set in a chair.

“Thank you, Earl.” Bobo said from across the room. “I take it things went as expected?”

“Well…” Waverly heard Earl hesitate and knew he was deciding how to give Bobo the news that Craig had supposedly killed Nicole. Or at least he thought he had. “Thing is boss, Craig says he went and shot that rancher and she drowned in the lake. Sir.”

The quick scrape of chair legs on the floor was the first indication Bobo wasn’t happy with the news. “What the fuck are you talking about, Earl? Please tell me you’re shitting me. Please.”

“No sir, not shitting you, sir.” Earl said. Waverly could feel the tension in the air as the two men spoke.

Bobo sighed and Waverly could tell he was doing his best to hold his anger for the time being. “Do you know for sure she’s dead? Did you or someone else see her dead body or is Craig just assuming she’s dead because he’s an idiot?”

“As far as I know nobody saw a body. Craig said he saw her fall from a cliff into the water and assumed she drowned.” Waverly kept completely silent as the exchange went on deciding maybe her assuring them her wife was actually alive wouldn’t be the best move at that moment. Element of surprise and all.

“Thank you Earl, you are dismissed. Tell the boys to stay alert. Even if the bitch is dead the Sheriff will be looking to get her sister back and could find us at any moment. Goddamn Doc Holiday is a better tracker than a bloodhound, especially when he’s motivated.” Bobo said as he walked closer to Waverly.

“I’m sorry for the delay, Angel.” Bobo said as he slipped the blindfold from her eyes. “These men are like lost children without direction.”

Even the relatively dim light of the cabin stung her eyes and caused them to water as she blinked to try and get them to adjust. “What the hell have you done, Bobo? You’re going to pay for this you asshole. I always knew you were too weak to challenge Nicole face to face. You had to send your goons to do what you’re too small to do yourself.”

Smack! Waverly felt the sting of the slap before she even realized he’d raised his hand.

“Goddamn, Waverly Earp! Stop testing me!” Bobo paced back and forth as a smirk crossed Waverly’s face. She knew the only chance she had was to rile the egotistical man up and hope in his anger he would make a mistake.

“I’m no longer an Earp you moron, or hadn’t you heard? I married a strong, beautiful woman and not some sniveling worthless roach like yourself.” Waverly braced herself as he quickly came towards her, fist raised before he suddenly stopped and sank into a chair across from her.

“You’ve got quit the mouth on you Angel.” Bobo said as he took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. “That foul mouthed sister of yours has set a bad example.” Dragging his chair closer, Bobo leaned forward onto his knees and licked his lips as he stared at Waverly for several minutes. She watched as drops of sweat driped down his forehead and into his eyes. The sight of him made her stomach turn.

“What do you want with me, Bobo?” She asked, deciding to cut to the chase.

Bobo pulled a spotless hanky from his pants and wiped the sweat from his face and neck before slipping it back into his pocket and standing to pace back and forth in front of the still bound girl. “I can’t have what I want, Angel. I think you know what I want but you’ve always denied me the pleasure. I would have made you and excellent husband.”

“I’m not your angel.” Waverly interrupted, causing Bobo to stop and glare at her.

“I realize you do not belong to me and that you’ve given yourself away to that filthy animal. I don’t know how you can stand to touch her. She’s obviously put some sort of spell on you to convince you to marry her. It’s not something you would even know. I’ve seen it done.”

“So you think it’s more likely that Nicole had a witch put a spell on me to make me love her than that I just honestly, truly and completely love her with all my heart and plan to spend every day for the rest of my life in her loving embrace? Is that what you’re saying? Do you think it’s you I should think of when she’s fucking me so deep I can hardly remember my own name? It’s not. Just so you know.” Waverly couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling up and filling the room, distracting her just enough to miss when her captor raised his hand once more and hit her hard enough to knock her out of her chair. As she curled up on the floor she felt a trickle of blood from her busted lip drip down her chin.

“Look what you did, Angel.” Bobo said as he lifted her up and set her back in the chair. “You can’t push me like that. You know it’s hard for me to control myself when you taunt me like that.” 

The hit had knocked the breath from Waverly and as she did her best to take deep gasps of air and stop her world from spinning, the heavy door to the cabin creaked open. “Everything okay in here, boss?” She heard Earl’s deep voice ask. Looking over she saw him for the first time. The older, barrel of a man would have seemed kind had he not delivered her into the arms of the devil.

“It’s fine, Earl. Leave and don’t open the fucking door again, no matter what you here going on in here.” When Earl didn’t look like he was going to leave, Bobo shoved him out the door and shut it behind him. “I apologize for the rude interruption, Angel.”

“Why am I here, Bobo? What’s your plan?” Waverly asked.

“Well, I guess we just sit and wait. I want that portion of land your wife so rudely denied me. It’s not like you’re using it, the fucking bitch. I realize the land also belongs to you but her name is first on the title and I know you’ll go along with whatever she tells you to do, won’t you, Angel?”

Waverly sneered as another drop of blood dripped down her chin. “She’s never going to give you anything. Why do you even want that useless piece of land? Are you that hard up for dirt?”

Bobo laughed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “That’s nothing for you to worry yourself about, my love. You’ll find out soon enough and then you’ll realize who you should have married and I can’t promise the offer will still be good. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

“What are you talking about you monster? There’s no chance in hell I would ever marry you.”

“Careful Angel, you may just be surprised. For one thing, if Craig did kill your wife do you think the men will be lining up to marry Sheriff Haught’s hand-me-downs? Now, I don’t feel that way about you at all but I think most men around here might. Once we’re done with the land, I would take you out east and you would be a society lady where nobody knows the trash you’ve taken yourself up with of late. A second chance. That’s what I will give you. A fresh start.”

Bobo looked at Waverly as if he was doing her a favor and that she would understand how grateful she should be. Waverly choked as the contents of her stomach threatened to erupt from her mouth. She wanted to argue with him but felt so weak and discouraged in that moment that she couldn’t find the energy to say a word.

“I’m going to get one of my men to get you some water and food while we wait. Either Nicole will show up and I’ll convince her to sell me the property in exchange for her wife or she’ll refuse and I’ll kill her and marry you myself which will make the property mine. I have enough judges on my payroll to legally marry anyone I please. If Nicole truly is dead then when your sister shows up we’ll kill her and that bloodhound husband of hers and I’ll still marry you. Either way, I’m getting that land.” Bobo walked through the door and she heard him speak to someone on the porch. A minute later Earl walked in and gasped when he saw the bruises and cuts on her face.

“I guess that whole protecting me bit didn’t work out, did it Earl?” Waverly said as she jumped at the sting as her tongue grazed over the cut on her lip.

“Why did he do this?” Earl asked as he poured her a cup of water from a jug. “Why do you have to work him up so? You know he has a temper.”

“Are you seriously blaming me for him hitting me?

“No! I just mean you have to do as Bobo says and he won’t hurt you no more.” Earl tipped the cup of water into her mouth since her hands were still bound.

Water dripped down her chin as she took gulp after gulp of it into her mouth. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until now and was thankful she was back with the kind man. “I’m sorry Earl, I don’t meant to take this out on you.”

“I understand.” He said as he wiped her chin with the sleeve of his shirt. “You’re in a bad spot right now but it’ll all be over soon.”

Waverly hoped he was right but didn’t want to wait around to find out. “Earl, do you think you can take me somewhere to relieve myself? I haven’t had the opportunity since yesterday and I’m about to burst.”

“Of course sweetheart, I didn’t even think about it before. I’m going to have to keep your hands bound, will you be okay?”

“It’s not ideal but I’ll do my best.” The big man lifted her into his arms and carried her through the front door. When they got onto the porch they were met by two men standing guard.

“I’m going to take the little lady around back to relieve herself. If Bobo comes back tell him I’ll have her back in just a minute.”

The men nodded and carried on with their own conversation. Waverly counted six men that she could see scattered about the perimeter of the clearing where the cabin sat. Thick woods surrounded them other than the road that lead to the front door.

“How’s this?” Earl asked as he set her down next to a wood shed.

“I think this will work fine.” Waverly said as sticks and rocks poked her bare feet. “I’ll just go around back for a little privacy. Will you wait here for me?”

Earl nodded as she walked around to the back of the shed. Maneuvering her clothing with bound hands to allow her to urinate without soiling herself was tricky but she somehow managed and sighed in relief when her bladder was finally empty. When she had her clothes back in order she stood at the corner of the shed and look around to take it all in. Most of the guards were towards the front of the cabin with two covering the sides and the back.

“You okay?” Earl called.

“I’m okay. Sorry, my bladder’s a little shy at the moment.”

Peering around the side of the shed, Waverly saw the man guarding the side of the cabin she was on turn and start his march in the opposite direction. Not wanting to waist the opportunity, she gripped her skirt with her bound hands and dashed into the forest undetected. Maybe there was no hope of escaping but she’d be damned if she didn’t try.


	11. The rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***NEW VERSION OF THIS CHAPTER*** Wynonna, Nicole and the posse confront Bobo and his men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Peeps! Well folks, this is the problem with posting things a chapter at a time. lmao I looked ahead at my notes and discovered that I totally messed up my plan with the ending of that last post of this chapter. I did a little minor editing in the first half of the chapter but the ending is totally different. Sorry for the confusion. Hope you like the chapter and I hope all my US friends had a great Thanksgiving and all my Canadian friends had an awesome Thursday. ;) As always, thanks for reading and thanks so much for your kind words. Every one makes me feel googly inside. :)

By the time they found the cabin where Waverly had been taken the first night the entire group was near exhaustion. Nicole had almost fallen off her horse several times but thankfully her old friend Deputy Marshall Dolls had helped to prop her back up.

“Everyone get some rest.” Wynonna said as she handed her reins to Cotton so the young man could take care of her horse. “Make sure you and your horses are well fed and rested and ready to head out in four hours. I don’t want to give those animals more time with my baby sister than I have to.”

Nicole could see the exhaustion etched across her sister-in-laws face and understood the ache she was feeling. Every moment that passed she found it harder to not fall into a deep despair but she knew she had to keep her wits about her if she was ever going to get her wife back.

As she stepped into the small cabin she looked around for any sign that Waverly had been there. She trusted Doc’s tracking skills completely but after riding for hours in what felt like circles she found it hard to accept they where on the right track.

“Nic, you rest up on the bed while the rest of us find a spot on the floor.” Wynonna said as she gently squeezed the taller woman’s arm. “We’re going to need you sharp when we find our girl.”

Too tired to argue, Nicole curled up on top of the blanket on the tiny bed. She thought she could almost catch a hint of Waverly’s scent on it but knew that was only wishful thinking. When she woke up, they’d go and get Waverly. The thought made her smile as she pushed down dread that they might not like what they find.

****************

For a second she almost felt at peace as the blackness embraced her like a blanket, pulling her further into its endless depths. A chill ran through her as she let go and let it swallow her whole. Feeling a sense of relief, she let the darkness drown out her fear and frustration until she had nothing left. Nicole! A muffled voice pierced through the fog. Nicole! Wake up! She heard again. She recognized her name and the voice but her mind couldn’t register what to do. Waverly! She thought as her heart jumped. Waverly! They have her.

“Waverly!” Nicole yelled as she sat up straight on the bed, gasping for breath.

“Easy there, buddy.” Wynonna soothed as she rubbed her hand in circles on her back. “I thought I’d lost you for a minute. I swear I couldn’t tell if you were even breathing.”

“I’m here.” Nicole grumbled as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “Just in a deep sleep.” The agony of their situation felt like a punch to the gut as memories of the last few hours came into focus. “Let me get my boots on and let’s get out of here.”

“I know what you’re going to say but Waverly would kill me if I didn't try one more time.” Wynonna’s eyes were almost pleading with Nicole as she forced the red head to look at her. “We’ve got this. You can stay here in this cabin and rest up while we go get your wife. There’s no shame in it and you know it’s what Waverly would want. She’d never want you to push yourself into an early grave when there are others here who can get her back just as good as you.”

Nicole signed and worried the tattered edge of the wool blanket on the bed. “I know. I know I’m not in any shape to do this and if I were you, I’d be saying the same thing. I realize Waverly’ll give me a good talkin’ to when we get her back but I just can’t sit here and wonder.” Rubbing her face with both hands to get her blood pumping, Nicole leaned down and pulled on her boots. “Let’s stop talking about it and get going. I’ll let Waverly kick my ass when she’s home, safe and sound.”

“Your funeral, you stubborn asshole. I warned you.” The tone of Wynonna’s voice was of frustration but Nicole could see the smile in her eyes. People like Wynonna and herself weren’t much good at sitting around waiting for someone else to fix things. They’d both learned that even if someone else could do the job, it’d be done in half the time with another set of hands. Nicole smiled as she heard Waverly’s voice in her head accusing them both of being stubborn and controlling. At this point she couldn’t wait for her wife to lecture her about learning to let go.

Nicole and Wynonna joined the team as they assembled in front of the cabin. Doc and a couple of the guys had ridden ahead to scout things out while the others were resting. Along the way they had come across a wagon being driven by one of Bobo’s goons who, with a little encouragement, had given them the location of the cabin where Waverly was taken.

“We’re about an hours ride to their hideout from here.” Wynonna said as she fought to keep her horse under control. The atmosphere was electric as all eyes were on her, ready to follow her into whatever battle she asked them to. Nicole had always known Wynonna would be a good leader and she felt this moment was a turning point for the sometimes insecure woman. “We’re going to ride the horses up to just before the crest of the hill. Everyone will hang tight as Dolls sneaks down the other side on foot to get a lay of the land. If I hear so much as a cough, there’ll be hell to pay. Our best weapon against these assholes is the element of surprise so don’t fuck it up. Once we know what we’re up against, I’ll let you know what we’re doin’ next. Did you want to say anything, Nic?”

Nicole felt a flood of emotion threaten to escape but she held back her tears and cleared her throat. “I want to thank you boys for coming out here.” She said as she looked each one of them in the eyes. “You’re puttin’ your lives on the line for my family and not asking a thing in return. I’ll never forget what each and every one of you have done. Please be careful out there and take care of each other. I’ve dealt with these assholes for years and they’ll shoot you just as soon as look at you so watch your back.”

Wynonna nodded at Nicole when she was done and nudged her horse into a trot with the rest of the group silently trailing behind.

****************

An hour and a half later Wynonna and the others were hunkered down behind a group of rocks to the east of the cabin. At the sound of an owl, Wynonna returned with a hoot of her own letting Dolls know he was clear to approach them. “What’s it look like?” she whispered once they were all huddled around him.

Dolls gave Nicole a glance before he met Wynonna’s eyes. “I counted nine men total but I wasn’t able to see who was inside the cabin.”

“What about Waverly?” Nicole asked in a clipped whisper.

“I’m sorry, Nic, I couldn’t see her anywhere. I assume she’ll be in the cabin.” Nicole gave him a nod to let him know she understood. “There’s two boys on the front porch not paying much attention to anything. I saw Bobo step into the cabin just as I was about to come back. The cabin is surrounded by forest with one outbuilding that I suspect is a wood shed. There was a giant man leaning against it smoking. Three men were hiding in the woods watching the road that leads into the clearing and the rest were scattered around the edges of the side and back. I couldn’t see the back of the cabin but I suspect the front door is the only way in or out. Bobo's in there and assume Wav…”

Dolls was cut short by yelling coming from the other side of the hill. The posse drew their guns and looked around expecting to find a group of men coming down on them at any moment. When the yelling continued but nothing came Wynonna, Dolls and Nicole low crawled to the top to look down onto the cabin. Bobo was screaming as his men ran around in confusion. “What’s he saying?” Nicole whispered but the three couldn’t decipher what was happening.

Suddenly the three men on the side of the cabin they were looking at started running up the hill, weapons drawn. Wynonna, Dolls and Nicole were each sheltered by a tree but they weren’t sure how long that flimsy cover would last. Giving them a nod, Wynonna made a gesture to indicate what she wanted them to do. The seconds felt like hours as Nicole closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to the universe that they were able to pull this off without alerting the whole gang.

As the men rushed past the them they each slipped behind one and quietly snapped their necks before they were able to make a sound. Just like that, they had taken the lives of three humans. No matter how long Nicole had been involved with the law, she would never get used to the rush and then overwhelming guilt of taking someones life. She reminded herself these men took Waverly as she let the uneasiness pass through her.

When they returned to their men, Cotton looked at Nicole with wide frightened eyes. “Hey son.” She whispered as she pulled his forehead against hers. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to have you stay here while we go down to see what’s going on. Will you watch after the horses for us?” Cotton nodded and Nicole saw relief in his eyes.

Turning back to Wynonna, their leader gave her a nod and pulled the others close. “Somethings going on down there. We don’t know what it is but it doesn’t change the fact that my baby sister is probably in thin the thick of it. We just took care of three so that leaves about seven including Bobo. Doc, Jeff and Tom, you make your way around behind the cabin and see if you can silently take care of the the ones in the woods. Dolls, I want you on top of those rocks with your rifle aimed right down towards the cabin. Make sure we don't get ambushed. Nicole, you and I are going to make our way this other direction and see if we can get into that cabin before all hell breaks loose.”

“Got it boss.” The team mumbled as they readied themselves for their assignments. Once Dolls was securely stationed in his spot, Nicole gave Cotton a wink and ruffled his sandy hair before she and the others started their low crawl towards the cabin. Cotton gave her a smile that warmed her heart. She was proud of him for insisting on being part of the team but she was comforted to know he would be safely out of site for the time being.

Wynonna and Nicole silently made their way down the hillside using the trees as cover. When they got close enough to look into the cabin they saw Bobo pacing back and forth in distress. Staying low they crept up to the side of the building. They were close enough at this point they could hear the thud of Bobo’s boots as he paced back and forth on the wood floor.

Gesturing to Nicole that she was going to crawl to the other side of the door, Wynonna indicated that she wanted Nicole to open it from her side. Nicole nodded and pulled her pistol as they both stepped onto the porch as quietly as possible. When Wynonna was in position she held up three fingers and began counting down. Three, two, on one Nicole pulled the door open and both women rushed into the room, guns at the ready. A look of shock crossed Bobo’s face that would have been funny had they not been in a life or death situation.

Diving behind an overturned table, Bobo starting firing his gun at them. Nicole frantically looked around for her wife but only found an empty chair in the center of the room. “Where’s Waverly, Bobo?” she yelled as bullets whizzed by them as they both took cover behind a bookcase.

“Did your wife run off on you, Sheriff? Sorry to hear that. Maybe she went looking for someone who could give her a better life than that of a ranchers wife.”

Nicole had counted three shots from Bobo so she knew he only had three more. “You’re out of moves, Bobo. Why don’t you give up while you still can.”

Leaning around the side of their cover, Wynonna clipped Bobo’s arm with a bullet meant for his chest. “We need to have target practice when this is all done, sister-in-law.”

“Shut up, asshole. It’s an awkward angle.” Wynonna said as she flipped off a smiling Nicole.

Bobo took another shot that stuck deep in the wood near Nicole’s face. Four. She thought. Two left. Holding up two fingers to Wynonna, Nicole checked the bullets in her own pistol. Three bullets left, she had to make them count. “Where’s Waverly, Bobo?” Wynonna asked to distract him as Nicole leaned around their hide and carefully took aim. With him in her sites, Nicole squezzed the trigger. In a flurry of chaos, everything seemed to happen at once. Nicole’s shot missed it’s mark as Dolls rifle went off and a giant man fell through the door, blood oozing from a bullet wound in his head. Before Wynonna and Nicole were able to react, Bobo was over than mans body and out the door like a shot.

Both woman lunged after him, rounding the corner in time to see Bobo narrowly miss being shot by a winded Tom.

“Tom?!” Wynonna yelled as they ran into the woods after Bobo. “I’m good, Wynonna.” He answered as he fell in behind them.

The trio moved as quickly as they could while still maintaining some form of cover behind the trees in case Bobo fired at them again. “He’s got two bullets left.” Nicole informed the others as Dolls fell in with them. “We’ve got you covered Bobo. Might as well give yourself up before you end up like your men.”

Hearing voices in the distance, they hurried up the hill as fast as they could. As they crested the ridge two shots rang out. Nicole’s first thought was her wife. They hadn’t seen her in the cabin and she hoped somehow Bobo hadn’t come across her in the woods somewhere. The thought took her breath away as she slid down the hill, dodging trees to get to where the shots came from.

“Waverly!” Nicole called out as she blindly ran, no longer caring if they were under cover or not. They arrived at the horses just in time to see Bobo disappear, escaping through the trees on one of their horses. In her blind fury, Nicole almost stepped on the slumped body at her feet.

“Cotton!” she yelled as she knelt beside the boy and rolled him onto his back so she could get a look. “Did he get you, son?” The red head frantically pulled at his clothes looking for injuries.

“I’m sorry.” Cotton said as he weakly pulled his hand away and Nicole saw blood pulsing out of a gunshot wound in his leg. “I’m so sorry, Sheriff. I tried to keep him from getting away but he was faster than me.”

“No, no, no, son. Don’t you worry about it one bit.”

“Am I gonna die?”

“Well, if I let you die Ms Waverly would string me up by my ears for letting that happen. We don’t want that now do we? Besides, you’ve got a pretty girl in town expecting you to marry her. She’d be awfully disappointed if you went and got yourself killed. That’s never a good way to start a marriage.” Nicole’s hands were covered with blood as she tore a sleeve from her shirt and tied it tightly around the young mans leg to help slow the blood. Keeping pressure on the wound, she looked around for something she could use. Wynonna, Dolls and Tom were nowhere to be found and she assumed they’d gone after Bobo. She was so focused on Cotton, she hadn’t even noticed them leave.

“Ms Waverly…” Cotton mumbled as his eyes began to droop.

“What’s that?” Nicole asked as she knelt closer. “Stay with me, son. Stay with me now.”

Nicole brushed sandy locks from his face as she looked down on the young man who had become like a son to her. “You stay with me and we’re going to get some help.” Knowing she couldn’t lift him, being injured herself, she called out for someone, anyone who could help. “Hello?!” She yelled into the silent forest. “Is anyone there? We need help?!” A sense of relief washed over her as she heard someone approach from behind. When she turned to see who it was her heart sank.

“What’re you doing calling out like that, Haught? Don’t you have a brain between your ears?” A tall black haired man Nicole recognized as one of Bobo’s people said as he cocked the pistol he had pointed at her head.

“You’re not wrong Gregory but seeing that the only thing stopping my friend from bleeding out is the pressure I’m applying to his wound, I didn’t see that I had much choice. If you’re going to shoot me, can you answer one question?” Nicole asked as she ran through different solutions in her head of how to get out of this mess. Each one ended with both her and Cotton dead.

“What’s your question?” He asked.

“Is Waverly alive?” Nicole knew the answer to that question was all she needed. If she’d lost her wife, her heart, she couldn’t think of a reason to live anyways so it might as well end now.

The man’s laugh startled Nicole. She realized she’d been so focused on his mouth and the words that were sure to come next she wasn’t expecting to hear laughter.

“Your woman’s alive as far as I know. You should have seen Bobo’s face when he found out she’d run off. I thought he was going kill every one of us.”

Nicole couldn’t stop the grin from crossing her face. Of course Waverly found a way to escape. She’d never met anyone as strong and capable as her wife. Bobo had no idea who he was up against. If these were her final moments she was just glad she’d die knowing Waverly was alive.

“Okay Haught, enough stalling.” Gregory aimed his pistol as Nicole closed her eyes and waited for the end. BANG! A shot rang out through the forest and for a second Nicole didn’t understand why she hadn’t felt the bullet yet. When she opened her eyes she saw Gregory fall forward in a lifeless heap.

“Nicole!” She heard from her left and immediately recognized the voice as Waverly’s. “Are you alright, baby?!” Waverly asked as she fell to her knees next to her wife.

“Waverly, I missed you so much. I was so scared. How did you…” Looking behind Waverly she saw Doc slip his gun back into his holster. Nicole gave him a grateful nod and didn’t even try to stop the tears as they streamed down her cheeks.

“We heard you yelling for help and came running as fast as we could.” Waverly said as they both frantically searched each other for injuries. Waverly’s face blanched when she saw Cotton’s limp body cradled in Nicole’s arms. “Cotton!” she screamed as her face blanched. “Is he alive?!”

Nicole felt around on his neck for a pulse point and when she found a slow but steady beat she sighed in relief. “He’s alive but we’ve got to get him back down to the cabin and stop the blood or he won’t be for long. Can you give me a hand, Doc?”

Her brother-in-law slipped his arms under the young mans shoulders and and legs to lift him off of Nicole’s lap. “I don’t supposed you know the where-a-bouts of my wife, do you?”

With assistance from Waverly, Nicole stood and the four of them made their way over the crest and back down the other side towards the cabin. “The last I saw Wynonna she was after Bobo with Dolls and Tom right behind her. I’m sorry I don’t know more.”

“My wife’s too ornery to allow that asshole to put a bullet in her. She’ll be back.”

When they arrived at the cabin Doc set Cotton on the bed and tipped his hat to Waverly and Nicole. “If you don’t need me…”

“No, no.” Nicole said as she picked up a basin to fill with water. “Let me walk you out.” Glancing at Waverly, Nicole saw that her wife was busily cutting the pants leg off so she could get a better look at the injury. “I’ll go get fresh water and be right back.”

“Don’t be too long.” Waverly said as she inspected the wound. “He’s lost a lot of blood and can’t afford to lose any more. I need fresh water, whiskey, a needle and thread. You get the water and I’ll search for the rest.”

“Be right back.” Nicole followed Doc out the front door and they both walked down to the water pump. “How did you find her, Doc?”

“From what I gather, she run off into the woods the first chance she got. When I found her she’d climbed up a tree and was hiding out in the branches. Bobo’s boys were running around looking for her and she was right above them the whole time. She’s got a good head on her shoulders. There was no way she’d of been able to get away on foot.”

Nicole smiled as she pictured Waverly sitting up in a tree watching the men run around like chickens with their heads cut off below. “That’s my girl.” She said fondly as she pumped water into the basin. “Thanks for finding her, Doc. She’s my everything and if…”

“Stop that.” Doc said as he wiped a tear from his cheek. “I’m glad I was able to find her but I have no doubt she didn’t need the likes of me rescuing her. She was doing just fine on her own. If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to head out and see if I can catch up to my wife. With any luck we’ll be back here before nightfall and we can help you get Cotton back to the ranch in the morning.”

“Yes, of course, Doc. We’ll be just fine here. Good luck!” Nicole said as she picked up the basin of water and started walking back to the cabin.

“You too, boss. Take care of that kid. He’s one of the good ones.” Doc said as he turned and jogged up the hill towards his horse. Nicole knew she’d need to lead the remaining animals back to the cabin once Waverly didn’t need her help with Cotton. She’d also need to get a fire started so the injured young man didn’t catch a cold in his weakened state. The last few days had seemed like some of the longest in her life but no matter how tired she was Waverly was back at her side and she knew they could face whatever was in front of them, together.


	12. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole are finely safe at home and taking time to reconnect before facing the world again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Peeps! This chapter is all about reconnecting both physically and emotionally. There are still things to be resolved but our girls need time to reconnect and have orgasms before worrying about all that. I hope you enjoy!

Waverly gradually opened her eyes letting the early morning light streaming through the bedroom window pull her from a deep sleep. As her vision came into focus she smiled, her heart full of love when the first thing she saw was her wife gazing down at her with an equally loving look.

“Morning, baby. How did you sleep?” Nicole asked as she pressed soft lips to hers.

“I slept better than I have in over a week. How long have you been watching me? Some might say you’re obsessed with me.” Waverly giggled as Nicole slipped a hand under the covers and tickled her side. She’d made light of the situation but she could tell Nicole was struggling with guilt after what happened. In the days since they’d returned home, the former Sheriff hadn’t let her wife out of her site for a moment which although sweet, was about to drive Waverly to madness. “Why don’t you go out to the barn and work with the boys today, if you’re feeling up to it. I’ve got some things to do around the house and I’d like to check on Cotton.”

Nicole’s eyes went wide as she pulled Waverly closer, pressing their bare bodies as close as she could get them. “Wave’s, I’m not comfortable leaving you all alone. It’s only been a few days, what if you need me. You went through a horrible ordeal and we have no idea where Bobo is at this point.”

In the three days since Nicole and the others rescued Waverly, Wynonna and her deputies had scoured the surrounding area for any trace of the man who had threatened their happy lives. After shooting Cotton and escaping on one of their horses, Bobo had disappeared as if by magic. Even Doc hadn’t been able to pick up his trail after a heavy rain on the second day. Nicole had sent another group to search the property for any sign of why Bobo was after her land but that had been a fruitless search as well.

“We’ll find him, baby.” Waverly said as she kissed the worry lines that creased Nicole’s forehead. “Everything is going to be okay. We’re together now and that’s all that matters.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Waves.” Nicole said as Waverly snuggled into her arms. The warmth of Nicole’s solid frame made her feel safe and loved. When she was wrapped in her strong arms she felt like the rest of the world could fall away and she wouldn’t care one bit. Waverly felt like her life began the day she and Nicole found each other and when the happiness was threatened it was almost her undoing. 

Nicole moaned as Waverly placed soft kisses along her bare collarbone and down her chest. “Let me know if I hurt you, Nic.” She said as she pulled a puckered nipple into her mouth, mindful of the injuries her wife sustained at the lake. The two lovers had spent much of the last few days sleeping and reconnecting but after everything they’d been through, it never seemed enough. “I love you, Nicky. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, baby. Mmmmm… You’re making me so wet, sweetie.”

“Am I?” Waverly asked as the nipple slipped from her lips with a pop. “Let me check. Not that I don’t trust you but I like to be thorough.”

“I’ve always said you’re nothing if not thorough.” Nicole said with a laugh as she spread her legs to allow the brunette access to her aching center. Waverly took her time gently licking around the soft folds as Nicole threaded her fingers though her hair and pulled her closer. “You feel so good, baby. So good. Keep doing that and I’ll come in your mouth, sweet girl.”

Waverly wanted nothing more than to drag out the pleasure as long as she could but her need to feel Nicole climax won out as she sucked her clit into her mouth and slipped two fingers into her waiting center. “Mmmmm…you taste so good.”

“Don’t stop, baby, don’t ever stop. I’m so close.” Nicole said as Waverly curled the fingers inside her wifes tight pussy and found the spot that was sure to make her lose control. “Oh fuck! Oh god, right there. Right there, baby.” Nicole’s body shook as her pussy gripped Waverly so tight she thought her fingers would be pushed out with the flood of wetness.

When her body relaxed enough to allow Waverly to gently pull her fingers free, Nicole guided her up to the top of the bed for a kiss. “You’re amazing, sweetheart.”

“I feel the same about you, my love.” Waverly answered as she wiped a tear from Nicole’s cheek. “Can I ask you for something that may seem a little strange, Nic?”

“You can ask me for anything.” Nicole answered as she kissed along her lovers jaw and across her cheek.

“When they had me, those men, I felt so helpless. I struggled to get free and couldn’t and I was more scared than I’d ever been in my whole life.” Waverly tried to hold back her own tears knowing they would only serve to make Nicole feel even guiltier than she did even though none of what happened was her fault.

“I can’t imagine what you went through or how it felt.”

“I know. I know you’ve been trying to understand and you’ve been so wonderful and loving but I need to ask you something that isn’t going to be your first instinct. Will you listen to me and trust that I know what I need?”

“Yes.” Nicole said as she sat up slightly and gave Waverly her full attention. “Whatever you need.”

Waverly took a deep breath and sat up facing Nicole with her legs curled underneath her. The blankets had fallen to the bed and the slight chill in the air caused her nipples to pucker and ache. She noticed her lover try to covertly glance at them from the corner of her eye which made her smile.

“I need to feel in control again. I need to feel like I’m in control of my life and my body and the best way I can think to do that is to have you take control of me.”

Nicole gave her a questioning look as she brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. “What do you mean by take control of you?”

Waverly slid from the bed and began to pace the room. “When I was with them and they had control there was nothing I could do or say that would make them let me go. They could have done anything to me…”

“They didn’t…” Nicole interrupted with panic in her voice.

“No, no.” Waverly said as she gave her wife a reassuring smile. “They made comments here and there but Bobo made it clear they weren’t to hurt me.”

The relief on Nicole’s face was evident. “I hadn’t wanted to ask. I knew you would tell me when you were ready if anything had happened but I’m so relieved nothing did.”

“I appreciate you letting me work through everything on my own but I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I should have suspected you would have worried about that.” Walking around to sit next to her wife on the edge of the bed, Waverly took her warm, callused hand and ran her much more delicate fingers over it. “We’ve always had such a wonderful sex life and you have always made me feel so safe and protected even when you are the one in control. When you take me I feel so much power in your possession. Do you understand?”

Nicole gently squeezed her hand and smiled. “I believe so.”

“Even when you are saying things and doing things to me that if someone overheard or witnessed not understanding how much you adored me, might take as more than just passion, you make me feel so powerful because I know at the slightest word you would immediately stop and relinquish all control to me. Even when you’re dominant with me, I know I am the one in control.”

“All that I am is yours, my love. I know you like being ravished on occasion and to be honest, I like the power I feel knowing you could stop things at any moment but you choose to give me complete control of your body. The trust you place in me is intoxicating.” Nicole smiled the rakish smile Waverly hadn’t seen from her lover in days and it warmed her heart.

“Good. Now, I want you to take me. I want you to make me feel like you’re desperate for me and know that I’m choosing to give you my body and my soul because it is and always will be yours.” The feral growl that escaped Nicole’s throat sent goose bumps across Waverly’s skin.

“Yes, ma’am.” She said as she pulled the smaller woman onto the bed and climbed on top of her. “If you insist.”

Waverly giggled as she closed her eyes and braced herself for what was to come.

 

***********

Nicole tried to hide the nervous tremor in her hands as she maneuvered Waverly underneath her and captured her mouth in a kiss. She knew their lovemaking had been much more tentative since their return home and she found it difficult to switch out of protector mode and into predator mode. They had always enjoyed an adventurous and fulfilling sex life but being scared out of your mind tends to push you off track a bit. She understood why her wife was encouraging them to get back on the horse, so to speak, but her brain was taking a little longer to catch up than her body.

“It’s okay, baby.” Waverly said as she spread her legs and allowed Nicole to settle between them.

“You feel so fucking good under me.” Nicole said as she started to find her footing. “Your beautiful body is just for me, isn’t it?”

Waverly bit her lower lip and nodded as a smooth thigh applied pressure to her increasingly wet center. “It’s only for you, baby.”

“That’s right. You save yourself for only me.” Reaching a hand down between Waverly’s legs, Nicole gently pinched her hooded clit before gathering wetness and dipping a finger into her pussy. “That’s a good girl getting nice and wet for me. You like it when I finger fuck you, don’t you sweet girl?”

“Yes.” Waverly panted as she began to rock her hips up and down.

“No, no my love, you wait for me. I decide when you get more. Do you understand?” Nicole had to turn her head to hide the smile that crossed her face when she saw the smaller woman’s obvious frustration. “Roll over onto your belly, sweet girl, so I can fuck you from behind. I’m going to add another finger so I can stretch you out and get you ready for me.”

Waverly eagerly rolled over and pulled herself up on her knees. Nicole slid two fingers back inside with one hand while she pushed her wife’s shoulders against the bed with the other. “There’s my girl. Presenting your pussy to me like it’s a gift for me to unwrap. What a good girl you are. I’m going to add a third finger. It’s going to hurt for just a minute until your pussy stretches and accommodates me but it will feel so good when it’s done. You want to do that for me, right sweet girl?”

“Yes, Nic, make it feel good. Take my pussy, baby. Take what you need from me.” Waverly rambled as she gave herself completely to her lover.

“Can you rub your clit for me baby? Rub it and make yourself relax. I’m going to take some of this wonderful wetness you’ve made and use it to help me slip a finger into your ass.”

Waverly faltered for just a moment before slipping her fingers between her legs and rubbing her clit. 

“Does it scare you that I want to fuck you in your tight little hole?” Nicole asked as she gathered wetness from her slick folds and rubbed it around her puckered opening. “I’ll be gentle with you baby but I need you to give yourself to me completely. May I take you here? Will you do that for me?”

“Yes, Nic, yes. Fuck my ass, baby.” Waverly said as she positioned herself to give Nicole even better access.

“That’s my good girl.” Nicole cooed before leaning down to Waverly’s ear. “Are you sure this is okay, sweetheart? You can say no and I’ll be just as satisfied.”

Giving her a shy smile, Waverly leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s okay, baby. I’ll let you know if it’s too much. Now take me you stud!”

Nicole laughed as she repositioned herself behind Waverly again. “We’re going to take this slow, baby. Keep rubbing that clit for me, okay?” Waverly nodded as she frantically rubbed. “Relax your body as much as you can, Waves. Relax and I’m going to slide my very smallest finger into you, okay?”

Waverly rubbed like her life depended on it as she did her best to relax her lower half. Nicole continued to gently fuck her pussy with one hand while she slipped the pinky finger of the other around and then slowly into her puckered hole. “Good girl. You’re taking my finger like such a good girl.” Nicole rhythmically pulled her finger in and out in time with her other hand until Waverly visibly relaxed and began rocking back and forth. “That’s a good girl. Now I’m going to slip a bigger finger in.” Waverly’s looked back with wide eyes but Nicole gave her a reassuring smile and leaned down to kiss her bare ass cheek. “It’s okay, my love, I’ll be gentle.”

Gathering even more of her wife’s natural lubricant, Nicole slowly worked her middle finger in, stopping when it was buried deep. “I’m so proud of you, baby. So good taking my finger in your ass so deep. I’m going to fuck you now and I want you to show me how good it makes you feel to have me inside you, okay?”

“Yes baby, yes!” Waverly said as Nicole began her rhythmic fucking again. Nicole felt as if she might be pushed over the edge herself as she watched her wife moan and rock back and forth in time with her fingers.

“I’m close, Nic, don’t stop.” 

“Come on sweet girl, release for me. Show me how much you like it when I take what I want from your body. You’re taking me so deep, Waverly. So deep in your tight pussy and ass.”

“Ahhhhhh….” Waverly screamed as she buried her face in the pillow so she didn’t alert the men working in the barn to what they were doing. “Fuck me, Nic! Fuck me!” Nicole could no longer move as Waverly’s velvety walls clamped down and held on for dear life. Murmuring words of love and devotion she felt her heart skip as she held back tears of joy. She almost didn’t have this. She’d come so close to losing this, to losing her. The reality of what they had gone through was still sinking in but Nicole knew she would never take one moment with this beautiful woman for granted. Waverly was her heart and her soul and she would spend every remaining breath she had showing her how much she meant to her.

When the contractions began to ease and Nicole was able to slowly remove her hands and collapse next to her wife, she laughed that Waverly seemed stuck in her previous position with her ass still in the air. “You okay, buddy?” she asked as she brushed a lock of soft brown hair from her eyes.

“I’m pretty sure you killed me. Am I dead, can you tell?”

Nicole knew it was a joke but she wasn’t ready to make light of things like that just yet. “You’re very much alive.” She answered as she pulled her into her arms. “You’re alive and beautiful and perfect and mine. Forever and ever, Waverly Haught.”

“I’m all yours.” Waverly said with a smile as she snuggled into warm arms and drifted back to sleep.


	13. Things That Go Bump in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Eve on the Homestead! The Haughts share Christmas with the ones they love most but the shadow of Bobo hangs over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so, so sorry this update has taken so long. I needed a little break from this story so I finished up another WayHaught project I had going on that was more of a three part romance spanning three major events in their lives together. I hope you check it out https://archiveofourown.org/series/1118223 . This chapter is more of a set up for the next chapter where we'll get some major questions answered. Good news! I finished both chapters so 13 and 14 are about to be posted right now. I really hope you enjoy where this story has taken you. I've had a great time writing it. Thanks for reading. :)

Nicole watched the whiskey swirl around her glass as she sat in her rocker near the fire. After a huge Christmas Eve feast, they were all relaxing together before they retired for the night. The next morning they would open their gifts before heading to morning services together. 

As Doc and Dolls played cards at the kitchen table, Waverly and Wynonna laughed over childhood memories of the Christmas they’d smoked a cigar their mother had left in their fathers stocking and vomited on the gifts neatly placed under the tree. Nicole chuckled as she heard them imitate their fathers deep voice when he rushed into the room, shocked by the scene and then promptly ran from the room to evacuate the contents of his stomach in the front yard.

“You girls were a menace.” she mumbled, doing her best to hide the smile on her face.

Climbing into her lap and taking a sip from her glass, Waverly kissed her cheeks which were warm from sitting close to the fire. “Good thing we mostly grew out of that. Right, honey?”

“Sure you have.” Doc added, never taking his eyes from the cards in front of him.

Waverly snuggled deeper into Nicole’s arms as they watched the flames reach towards the chimney with an occasional ‘pop’. “How are you doing, sweetie?”

Taking another sip, Nicole luxuriated in the feel of the strong liquid as it burned it’s way down her throat. “I’m okay. Just thinkin’.”

“Whatcha’ thinkin’ about?”

Nicole smiled and kissed Waverly on the tip of the nose. “Thoughts that are probably too heavy for Christmas Eve.”

“Bobo?”

“We’ll catch that bastard, Nic. Don’t you worry.” Wynonna added as Doc and Dolls dealt her into their game. “He can’t hide forever.”

“It’s not just him. I can’t for the life of me figure out what the hell he wanted with our land. We’ve looked and looked and I can’t believe we haven’t figured it out. I can’t imagine he’s just going to give up, not with as determined as he was.”

Dolls stood to get another bottle of whiskey from the shelf. “We’ll keep lookin’, Nic. I’m going to stick around for another couple weeks and between the four of us we can cover a lot of land.”

“Four!” Waverly protested. “You mean five.”

“I’m not letting you out there until he’s caught, Waverly Haught. No way, no how.”

“I can take..” Waverly started before Nicole gently kissed her lips to cut her off.

“I know, baby, and normally I wouldn’t even hesitate but Bobo is just too fixated on you. Until that bastard is either locked in a cell or six feet under the ground, I‘m not taking any chances with your life. You’re everything to me, Waves. Everything. I’m asking for this one favor and then you can boss me around for the rest of my life.” The smile on Nicole’s face softened the frustrated look on Waverly’s.

Kissing Waverly’s bottom lip as it protruded from her pouty face Nicole knew she’d won that argument, at least for the time being. “I love you, baby.”

The pout melted into a smile as the smaller woman shifted so she was straddling Nicole’s lap. “You’re in luck because I love you, too.” Leaning forward, Waverly nipped Nicole’s bottom lip, requesting entrance. When it was granted the two melted into each other as they used the natural motion of the rocking chair to create even more friction between them.

“Hey!” Wynonna scolded from her place at the table. “Go to your room, you animals!”

Waverly drug herself from the kiss and rested her head against Nicole's as they gasped for air and tried to steady their breathing. “Sorry guys.” Nicole said sheepishly as she stood with her wife still wrapped around her. “I think we’ll just go to bed. Merry Christmas!”

“Yeah, Christmas!” Waverly weakly added as she was carried towards their bedroom.

*********

Nicole was woken from a deep sleep by a noise in the barn. As the fog of sleep cleared from her mind she realized she’d practically passed out after the last of several orgasms her wife had brought her to just a few hours before. Glancing next to her in the dark she could just make out Waverly’s angelic face in the moonlight streaming through the window.

Another sound from the barn reminded her why she’d woken up in the first place. “God dammit.” she whispered to herself as she rubbed her eyes and slid her bare legs from beneath the blankets. The room was cold so she quickly pulled on her britches and boots before slipping from the room, without waking her wife. 

As she made her way down the hall Dolls poked his head from his room. “Hey Nic, are you going to check the barn?”

“I am.” Nicole whispered so she didn’t wake up anyone else. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“Probably not but let me get my boots and I’ll go with you.”

“No, no, I’ll be fine. You get some sleep. You don’t often get to sleep in a comfy bed, I’d hate to spoil your night.”

Dolls chuckled but looked hesitant to let her go alone. 

“I’ll be fine, my friend. I’m sure it’s just some little critter trying to find shelter from the cold. You get back to sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Are you sure?” Doc asked as he stepped further into the hall.

“I’m sure. No sense in both of us losing sleep over this.”

“Okay. I’ll…okay. If you need anything you just give me a holler. I won’t be comfortable until we know where Bobo is.” 

Nicole could tell her friend was struggling to let her go alone so she decided to move along before he forced her to wait. She doubted she’d find anything wrong in the barn and wanted to get this over with so she could curl back up in her warm blankets with her wife. “Me, too, my friend. Me, too. Get to sleep and I’ll be back before you know it.”

Even though she didn’t expect to find anything in the barn, she still approached it with caution with her weapon pulled. The night was eerily quiet, buried under a blanket of snow. Nicole flinched as the creak of the barn door broke the silence. A beam of moonlight broke through the darkness as she slipped into the large, open beamed building.

“Whoa, Clint, easy boy.” She cooed to her horse as he paced in his stall. “What’s got you all worked up, old friend?” Peeking into each stall and every dark corner, Nicole carefully checked for anything that looked suspicious. Everything appeared to be in order as she climbed the ladder to the hay loft. Slowly poking her head through the trap door she coughed as dust and straw danced around her head. 

Wiping her burning eyes she climbed the last rung and pulled herself to a seated position on the deck. The loft was almost pitch black without the luxury of windows to let the moonlight in. Since only a fool would bring a lantern into a hay loft, Nicole did her best to poke blindly through the darkness with the barrel of her gun. If she did find a raccoon or other critter lurking in the shadows she was sure they’d both give each other a fright.

After checking the last dark corner, Nicole made her way back down the ladder with a chuckle. “You dadgum horses got me out of bed for nothin’.” As she reached the final rung she felt someone walk up behind her just before everything went black.


	14. I Owe You One, Partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions are finally answered as Nicole finds herself in a bind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's the chapter you've been waiting for. I hope it's a satisfying penultimate chapter to this little adventure we've been on together. As always, thanks so much for reading and commenting. You guys have been so kind and each one has brightened my day. :) <3

As Nicole regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was the pain lancing through her skull. The second was the fact that her hands were tied behind her back and a very agitated Bobo Del Ray was pacing back and forth muttering to himself a few feet in front of her. “For Christ’s sake, Bobo. Are you ever going to stop being a dick?”

Bobo stopped and stared at her but Nicole could see he wasn’t working with a full deck. “Where ya’ been, Bobo? We looked all over for you.” she asked as she quietly tested the ropes that bound her hands behind her back.

“I almost died. You almost killed me, Sheriff but you didn’t. You try and you try but you never succeed.”

“Come on now.” Nicole said as she felt a little give in one of the loops around her right wrist. “It’s not for lack of trying. That’s got to count for somethin’.”

“You’ll never learn, Sheriff. You can’t just have everything you want. You can’t have the land and the gold and the girl and everything. I’m not going to let that happen this time.”

Nicole stopped messing with the rope as all the pieces began to fall into place? “What gold are you talking about, Bobo?”

“The gold on the land. On the Earp land. Not your land. I should have been the one to marry Waverly and then I’d have the girl and the gold. She’d be my girl and I’d be able to provide for her much better than you ever dreamed. You can’t have everything, Sheriff. She would have loved me. She’d be my girl and once I get rid of you and get that gold dug up, she’ll be mine forever.” Bobo resumed his pacing as he scratched his head with the barrel of Nicole’s pistol.

“Well, I understand why you’re drawn to Waverly but she’s my woman, Bobo, and getting rid of me isn’t going to change the fact that she loves me and not you. That dream was never going to happen. Waverly has a beautiful soul and she never would have fallen for a wretch such as yourself.” She said as she resumed working the rope, inch by inch. “Why don’t you put down that gun and we can talk about this like civilized people. Maybe we can work out a deal with the land. How’d you even find gold, by the way? I’ve been all over this homestead and haven’t seen a darn bit of gold anywhere.”

Bobo stopped his pacing and smiled at her as if he’d outsmarted her. “See! You can’t take care of her like I can. You’d sit on this land, watching her get old and never be able to provide her with the things she deserves.”

“You’re wrong there, Bobo. If you knew Waverly at all you’d know she doesn’t care about anything you could buy with gold. She wants to be loved and respected by someone who does there best to do good in this world. You’d never be that person, no matter how much gold you found.” Nicole felt the ropes loosen enough to pull her hands free but kept them behind her back until she could decide what her next move would be.

“You don’t know that.” Bobo said as his agitation grew. “You can’t know how she’ll fee when she’s a widow and I show up on her step in a fine suite and a bag full of gold.”

“How do you plan on getting all that gold above ground? You’re just one man.” Nicole hoped she would be able to get enough information from him to know the location of the gold. “I’ll ask again, how did you find the gold in the first place.”

“Remember ol’ Frances Tubs that you hung for killin’ that old woman?”

“I do. Mrs. Elizabeth Burns was her name and she left behind three young grandchildren who’d been orphaned two years before. Those little ones watched as Frank Tubs killed her in cold blood, just because she wouldn’t give him a jar of jam. He a friend of yours? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” Nicole’s stomach rolled as she thought of those poor children, their grandmother’s blood splattered on their clothes, as they huddled together in the corner of the room while Frank Burns sat at the table eating jam and bread.

“Well, there was more to the story than you knew. Guess you weren’t such a great Sheriff after all.” The smirk on Bobo’s face made Nicole want to punch him even more. “I went to visit Frank before you hung him and he told me he’d been hiding out in the cliffs near your pond when he found a hidden cave, part way up the rock face. He wouldn’t have even noticed it if he hadn’t been chasing a squirrel for his dinner and followed it in. I was the only person to visit him in his final hours so he shared with me where it was.”

“What did any of that have to do with Mrs. Burns?” Nicole asked, confused why Frank felt he had to kill the poor woman.

“I guess she’d taken her grandkids to play in the pond earlier that day and Frank was convinced she’d seen him up there watching them because she packed up their things and left a little too quickly for his liking.”

“That poor woman. If she’d seen something she’d have come straight to the Sheriff’s office. Frank found her at home with her children so I highly doubt she knew a thing about his damn gold. Poor children, they’ll live with that memory the rest of their lives. What a waist.”

Bobo scoffed as he kicked Nicole’s leg hard enough to make her fall on her side. “Boohoo. Those children learned a valuable lesson that day. You can’t depend on someone else to stick around. Everyone gets abandoned at some point. Might as well be when they’re young, before they get too soft to survive in this world.”

“Okay, that’s a tragic outlook on life.” Nicole righted herself as she formulated a plan in her head. Her only option was to catch him off guard by rushing him and knocking him off his feet. She had to time it just right when he’d be least likely to get a shot off.

When Bobo had his left side towards her with the gun on the opposite side of where Nicole sat she jumped into a crouching position and ran as fast as she could towards him. She saw him turn towards her just before a shot rang out.

****************

“I owe you one, partner.” Nicole said as Dolls rushed into the barn and kneeled next to her with his gun still smoking. Bobo had gotten one shot off before falling to ground with a gunshot to his gut. She felt a strange sense of disbelief as she watched the life drain from his eyes. “How’d you know I needed help?”

“I started to worry when you didn’t come back to the house. I knew you’d either fallen asleep in Clint’s stall or something bad had happened. I heard Bobo talking as I walked up to the barn and knew you’d want me to wait to see how much information you could pull from him but when I saw you make your move and saw him raise his gun, I knew it was time to join the party.” As Dolls patted her shoulder Nicole flinched and he noticed a splash of read blooming from a hole in her jacket.

“Nic!” He said as he pulled back so he could get a better look. “He shot you!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Waverly and the others came barreling into the barn. “Nicky!” She exclaimed as she ran to her wife. “You’re shot?!”

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” She soothed as she gave Dolls an irritated glance. “It’s just a scratch. Dolls shot him just as he pulled the trigger and the shot went wide. It looks worse than it is.”

“What the fuck happened?” Wynonna asked as she and Waverly helped Nicole to her feet while Doc and Dolls took care of Bobo’s body.

“I heard a noise in the barn and came out to check. He must have been hiding in a dark corner and he cold cocked me as I came down the ladder from the loft.” At the memory of the pain in her head she reached back and felt a fair sized bump where he’d hit her. “When I came too I was tied up and he was rambling like a mad man.”

“What did he say?” Wynonna asked as they helped Nicole up the steps.

“Some of it is a bit of a jumble but lets all get inside and I’ll fill you in.”

“What were you thinking, going out into the barn by yourself?” Waverly scolded once Nicole was comfortable next to fire.

Flinching as her wife helped remove her shirt from her injured arm, Nicole knew she had no excuse for being so reckless and would have to just take her scolding with a brave face. “I know, baby. It was dumb. Dolls saw me in the hall and tried to join me but I refused to let him. I didn’t want to put anyone else out. I already feel guilty enough that he’s caused so much trouble in everyone’s lives.”

Nicole gave her sister-in-law a thankful nod as she was handed a glass of whiskey. “Nic, you know it’s not your fault that asshole has caused us so much trouble. He was a thorn in our side way before you rode into town. I hate to think what might have happened to my baby sister had you not come along. That man was obsessed with her.”

“That’s enough being an idiot, Nicole Haught. You aren’t the Sheriff any longer and there’s no reason to needlessly put yourself in harms way when there are others who love you and are more than willing to watch your back.”

Nicole knew her wife would never intentionally hurt her but in her anger, she wasn’t being as gentle as she normally would sewing up the gash in her arm. “You’re right, as usual, sweetheart. I promise to do better in the future.” She knew the apology was cold comfort but Waverly noticeably relaxed and her wound care became just a bit gentler.

“I love you, Waverly Haught.”

“I love you, too, you stubborn old goat.” The two laughed as they shared a gentle kiss.


	15. Happily Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly are exactly where they want to be, happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, this is it. I hope you've enjoyed the journey we've been on together as much as I have. I've written a couple novels but haven't had the courage to share them like I have with this and I can't thank you enough for making this such a wonderful experience. You've all been so kind and encouraging and it's made it so much fun. As always, thank you so much for reading and a special thank you to those who've sent comments. You guys are the best. <3

Nicole and Doc paced back and forth as they tried to block out the screams from the other room. The two glanced at each other as the sounds of agony stopped and their mid-wife, Contessa called for them to enter. 

“Are we ready for this?” Doc asked as he drew in a deep breath before entering the room with Nicole on his heels. 

The first thing she saw was Waverly, face drawn with exhaustion and tears streaming from her eyes. Nicole rushed to her side and pulled her wife into her arms. “Are you okay, my love?”

“Hey asshole, I’m the one that just pushed a baby out of my fucking vagina. Yeah, Waverly is just fine and so am I, by the way.” The three others laughed as Wynonna collapsed back against the pillows. 

“I’m sorry, Sheriff. I can be a bit single minded with my concern. How are you?” Nicole asked as she sat on the edge of the bed, opposite Doc as Waverly sat in a chair next to her.

Before Wynonna could answer, Contessa walked up with a crying baby bundled in her arms. “Okay momma, this little girl is ready for her first meal.”

“A baby girl?!” Doc asked as tears streamed down his face. “We have a baby girl?”

“Alice Michele.” Wynonna said as her husband kissed her lips before taking the baby from the mid-wife and gently placing her in her mothers arms.

“After our mothers. I love it, sweetheart. A fine tribute to two strong women.”

As Wynonna settled the baby at her breast and with the help of her mid-wife and husband, tried to get her to latch on to a nipple, Nicole and Waverly quietly left the little family alone. “You look exhausted, sweetheart.” Nicole said as she brushed damp hair from Waverly’s face.

“That was quite the ordeal. I wasn’t even the one having the baby and I feel like I’ve been rung out and left on the line to dry.”

“Why don’t you…” Nicole’s words were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Who could that be?”

“I don’t know but I’m not presentable at the moment. Can you answer it while I get freshened up?”

Nicole kissed her gently on the lips before giving her a small bow. “At your service, my lady.” She was just able to dodge the smack from her wife as she walked to the front door. 

“Cotton!” She said as she opened the door to find their now married adoptive son.

“Hello, Sheriff. Might I talk with you for a moment?” 

“You may! I have happy news to share. Wynonna and Doc are the proud parents of a brand new baby girl born only minutes ago. Alice Michele.” Nicole led the young man down the hall to their sitting room and gestured for him to sit on the settee. “I trust your wife is doing well?”

“Yes, yes, she’s lovely.” Cotton said as his face lit up with pride at her being referred to as his wife. “And please extend my congratulations to the Sheriff and Doc. I’m sure she’s a beautiful little girl.”

“She is that. “What can I do for you, young man?”

“Well, Sheriff..well Ms Haught or, Nicole…”

“Spit it out boy, what’s got you so worked up? I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t fix.”

“It’s just, you and Ms Waverly have been like parents to me and I wanted you to be the first to know that I’m going to be a paw.”

“Oh son!” Nicole said as she jumped to her feet and pulled the young man into a hearty hug. “I’m so happy for you both. You certainly didn’t waist any time.”

“What’s all the commotion in here?” Waverly said as she entered the room to find Cotton’s feet dangling below him as Nicole wrapped him in a hug.

“Hello, Ms Waverly.” Cotton choked out as he was set back on the floor.

“Nicole! Don’t break the poor boy, his wife will hunt you down.”

Nicole smiled as she pushed Cotton towards her wife. “She sure would because she’s going to need him when they welcome their new baby into the world.”

“Oh, Cotton! I’m so happy for you both.” Waverly wrapped him up in a much gentler hug but with equal fervor. “Nic, I think it’s about time we had that talk with him.”

“I believe you’re right.” Nicole said as she left the room and Waverly settled Cotton back in his seat. When she returned, Nicole held a stack of papers in her hand and sat next to Waverly opposite their guest.

“Cotton,” Waverly began as she held his hand. “You know you’ve been like a son to us. We’re so proud of the man you’ve become and couldn’t be more excited to see what your future holds.”

“The pleasures been mine, Ms Waverly. I count myself very lucky to have been blessed with the guidance of you both.”

Waverly blushed as she squeezed his hand at the compliment. “As you know, Nicole and I have recently come across a rather large sum of money now that the mine is starting to produce and that is in no small part due to your hard work managing the dig and the men we have employed. We’re forever grateful for your dedication. There’s no value that can be placed on loyalty but we would like to show you how much we appreciate all you’ve down by gifting you a share of the mine. Currently the shares are split fifty-fifty between my sister and her husband and Nicole and myself. We’ve both agreed to give you and your wife ten percent of each of our shares which would give you a total of twenty percent stake in the claim.”

Cotton looked as if he would fall off his seat and onto the floor but he gathered himself enough to give both of them a hug. “I don’t know what to say. It’s more than I could have ever dreamed.”

“Well, there’s more.” Nicole said as she set the papers in front of him. “We’re also gifting you and your wife twenty acres of good land where you can settle down and raise your family. The land will be equidistant from the pond as Wynonna and Docs and the homestead. We’ll form a sort of triangle with the pond in the center.”

Tears streamed down Cotton’s face as he stared at the official documents in front of him. “I don’t deserve this. You’ve already given me so much.”

Waverly and Nicole pulled him into a group hug as they each shed tears. 

Nicole pulled away first as she looked him straight on. “You deserve all this and more, son. You’ve put your life on the line more than once to protect this family. The least we can do is officially make you a part of it. We expect you to continue to manage the claim. As you may have realized by now, we’re getting just as much out of this arrangement since the more you pull from the mine, the better it is for all of us.” 

The three of them laughed as Nicole and Waverly walked him to the door. “You get on home and tell that beautiful wife of yours the good news. We’ll get an attorney out and get the documents officially signed so you can start building a home for your growing family. Doc and I will be more than happy to help in any way we can. We’ve built a house or two in our time so we might have some good advice to pass on if you’re interested.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Cotton said before giving them each one last hug. “I love you both.”

“We love you, too, son. We’ll talk soon.”

When they were finally alone, Waverly took Nicole’s hand and led her up the stairs to their bedroom. They’d had an exhausting few months and both women were worn to the bone. Without saying a word they began to undress each other, pressing gentle kisses on newly exposed skin. With Spring coming to an end the evenings were warmer and their bedroom was neither hot nor cold, but Nicole followed a trail of goosebumps as they covered Waverly’s skin.

Once they were both naked, Nicole guided her wife to the wash basin in the corner of the room and filled it with water from a pitcher sitting next to it. The liquid was clean and cool and Waverly’s nipples puckered to points when Nicole gently began to wash her with the cotton cloth she had dipped inside. “Mmmm, I love you so much, my love.”

“I love you, too.” Nicole answered as she lowered herself to her knees so she could wash Waverly’s lower half. “Spread your legs for me, sweetheart.” Waverly did as she was told, placing her hands on Nicole’s broad shoulders for support. Opening her soft folds with one hand, Nicole gently cleaned her most delicate area before placing whisper kisses on her hardening bud.

“Nicole…I…I need to lie down.”

Standing to her full height, the taller woman cradled her in her arms and placed her on the bed with her legs hanging over the edge. Waverly closed her eyes as reverent kisses were placed from the top of her head, down the curve of her arched neck, and across her breasts, pausing to suck each nipple into her mouth. When her need made her feel like she would explode like a stick of dynamite, she guided the attention from her aching breasts and towards her center. 

Nicole chuckled as she fell to her knees on the floor next to the bed and pulled Waverly’s slender legs over her shoulders. She could feel the heat emanating from her need. “You smell so sweet, my love. I love this moment just before I’m going to taste you. The promise of what’s to come. Watching your pussy get wetter in anticipation. It’s the closest thing to perfect there is. Just the two of us, here, together.”

“I love you, Nic. I need your mouth on me baby, please.”

The need in her wifes voice made her a little lightheaded but she focused her attention on the task at hand. Wrapping her arms around the toned legs, she used her thumbs to pull the engorged folds gently apart and placed a kiss on her clit before sucking it into her mouth and slipping first one and then two fingers into her tight channel. “Thank you for giving yourself to me, baby. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here, inside you.”

“Oh, Nic. You’ve got me so worked up I don’t think I’ll last long. Please don’t stop.”

Nicole stood with her fingers still working Waverly towards climax and straddled her muscular thigh. “I’m going to ride you and we’re going to come together.”

“Yes…” Waverly moaned as Nicole coated her skin in wetness. “Use my body to bring you pleasure, sweetheart. Take what you need from me.”

Rocking her entire body so she slid in and out of Waverly as she rocked back and forth on her leg, Nicole felt her muscles tighten and every cell in her body suddenly become hyper sensitive as they drove closer and closer to release. “Can you come with me, baby? Are you ready to come all over my fingers?”

“Yes! Don’t stop, baby. I’m so close. So close.”

Nicole felt her leg muscles start to twitch and knew the end was near so she gently added a third finger, stretching Waverly’s center to a place somewhere between pleasure and pain. “Come with me, baby.” She said as she curled her fingers up to rub the spot deep inside she knew would make her wife lose control.

“Oh god, Nic, yes, yes!!!.” Tears slipped from Waverly’s eyes as she crested the mountain and came crashing down the other side. “Stop, stop, I can’t…” Nicole was always hesitant to stop once she had her in the throws of passion but she reluctantly stilled her motions and slowly pulled her fingers free.

Collapsing on the bed next to her spent lover, the two woman wrapped themselves in a loving embrace. “I love you, Waverly Haught.” Nicole said as she placed a kiss on the brunette’s sweaty brow.

“I love you, too, my love. Forever and always.”


End file.
